By Ally Knudtson
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (JRMC) – Two Jamestown Regional Medical Center employees received certification in cleaning and disinfection, waste handling, floor care and linen handling.
JRMC Environmental Service Technicians, Kathy Pfeifer and Janice Lucero, received their accreditation for Certified Health Care Environmental Service Technical (CHEST). CHEST works to make a positive impact on infection rates, cost, quality of care, patient experience and outcomes. The CHEST Certification is through the Association for Health Care Environment (AHE) which is a part of the American Hospital Association (AHA).
The CHEST Program offers this new certification for Environmental Services frontline workers. This program covers all aspects of a frontline workers typical tasks and accountabilities. They play an essential role in patients’ experience of care, as well as, ensuring patient safety and satisfaction. They seek to create a clean and quiet healing atmosphere that will lead to improved patient outcomes. To achieve these quality outcomes, Certified Health Care Environmental Service Technicians must be well – trained and demonstrate competence in a number of key areas.
“Linen and environmental services are vital to a patient’s success. A clean room and facility means our patients can focus on healing,” said Dane Grebel, Support Services & Emergency Preparedness manager. “Equipping our team with this specialized training is why JRMC is a destination for care and THE difference in the lives of those we serve.”
Linen and environmental service technicians play an essential role in patients’ experience of care as well as ensuring patient safety and satisfaction.
Kathy Pfeifer and Janice Lucero completed 24 hours of CHEST classes with their trainers who are certified as T-CHEST through AHE. They took a 50 question test and passed in order to earn their accreditation, with future education to maintain the certification.
The State of North Dakota has five T-CHEST Trainers who are certified to train participants to become CHEST certified in their facilities. JRMC is pleased to have the first two participants certified in CHEST.