The AHE awards and recognition program acknowledges and elevates professionals who have demonstrated the highest level of excellence and leadership. Award recipients are those who work towards advocating and educating themselves on best practices and standards, developing new leaders within a hospital or healthcare facility, and promoting the environmental services profession.

Applications are due June 9, 2017.

AHE has started this initiative to encourage professionals in the field to begin, or continue to refer to the departments and the personnel caring for the healthcare environment as environmental services professionals rather than as housekeepers, janitors and custodians. The staff and management teams responsible for maintaining the clinical environment of care require different skills and competencies from those needed in the commercial cleaning and general maintenance industry and it's time we address this critical distinction.

Please help us redefine healthcare environmental services!

The Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) announces a groundbreaking partnership with The Ohio State University to create the first academic certificate in healthcare environmental services within a hospitality management program. Ohio State College of Education and Human Ecology undergraduate students studying hospitality management, as well as existing healthcare professionals, will soon have expanded management and leadership opportunities within environmental services.

Idaho County Free Press
"People tend to view my department as being the ‘low man on the totem pole’. The truth is, we are at the top of it," said Jessica Meyers, manager of environmental services at St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics in Cottonwood.

Matt Poe, American Laundry News
When it comes to laundry equipment, service providers have different options for acquisition.

Aaron Dimick, WLNS.com
Keeping surfaces clean and free of bacteria is a constant battle for medical facilities.

Nick Bragg, CleanLink
Velcro-backed flat mops were first introduced to the jan/san market in the early 1990s.

Jamie Morgan, Health Facilities Management
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued guidance for managing occupational exposures to Zika virus for health care personnel.

Les Masterson, Healthcare Dive
A pandemic could put a strain on the healthcare system, sicken hospital staff and stretch hospital resources to their limits.

Infection Control Today
According to the CDC's FluView report for the week ending April 15, 2017 (week 15), flu activity decreased in the United States.

The Gazette-Virginian
As of Wednesday, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital began using copper-infused linens and patient gowns in all inpatient rooms to reduce the incidence of health care-associated infections (HAIs).

Eric Garton, Harvard Business Review
When employees aren’t just engaged, but inspired, that’s when organizations see real breakthroughs.

Kevin Cashman, Forbes
Of all the principles supporting sustainable leadership, authenticity is one of the most important.

By Jim Henry, CHESP, Master T-CHEST

By Carrie Schuster

Make yourself indispensable and advance your career! Plan your education for 2017. Visit AHE’s 2017 ENGAGE site to learn more about educational courses, podcasts, webinars, and events. And make sure to check out AHE's EXPRESS Learning Courses. EXPRESS is a mobile learning platform that offers educational podcasts delivered by environmental services and infection prevention thought leaders. You asked for learning opportunities that require less of a time commitment and we delivered!

To acknowledge the ongoing and outstanding sustainability efforts of healthcare facilities - and environmental service departments in particular - the AHE presents the Environmental Sustainability Certificate Program. This program not only provides guidance on efficient, effective and value-added environmentally sustainable healthcare operations, but also provides it in such a way that is achievable within all budgets.