Cleaning Services for Urgent Care Facilities

Cleaning Services for Urgent Care Facilities

Green cleaning services tips and advice to maintain the health and appeal of your urgent care facility at an affordable price.

Cleaning Services for Urgent Care Facilities - Bakersfield CA

Green Cleaning Services for Urgent Care Facilities

Urgent care facilities are on the rise throughout the United States in an attempt to alleviate the pressures placed on hospital emergency rooms for non-critical needs that cannot wait for the availability of a scheduled doctor visit.

According to the Cigna Medical Group, urgent care facilities are ideal for;

  • Flu and cold symptoms.
  • Coughs and sore throat.
  • High fevers.
  • Vomiting, diarrhea, & stomach pain.
  • Cuts and severe scrapes.
  • Broken bones.
  • Minor injuries and burns; and
  • Sports injuries.

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Due to the non-life-threatening nature of these ailments, a trip to the emergency room could result in a wait of several hours while more critical injuries are tended to, potentially leading to complications, making trips to urgent care facilities more practical.

However, urgent care facilities need to be prepared to address the challenges the shifting volume of patients will present, precisely due to the inherent possibility of infection and the spread of germs.

 

Primum Non-Nocere

From the perspective of cleaning for health, the first thing an urgent care office or facilities manager should do is assess the current chemicals and processes used in sterilization and daily cleaning process.

Some questions to ask are;

  • Is there a potential for the chemicals currently being used in the sterilization process to contribute to respiratory issues, or other allergic reactions in patients?
  • Does your facility utilize IoT monitoring of resources, such as paper towel, toilet paper, and soap dispensers, to ensure a patient's routine use of the restroom?
  • Are tissues and liquid hand sanitizer made as readily available to patients as magazines in the waiting room?
  • How quickly can a procedure room be turned around and made ready for the next patient with the current staff and processes in place?
  • What steps are taken to protect patients with open wounds from succumbing to Hospital Acquired Infection?
  • Have you considered or studied the environmental impact your facilities cleaning practices have and how that contributes to the overall health of the patients in your community?
  • How do your current purchasing guidelines align with modern social, economic, and ecological needs and direction?

 

Cleaning Services for Urgent Care Facilities

 

Green Cleaning Guidelines & Best Practices

LEED Certified green cleaning practices have several advantages:

  • Reduces the amount of water and gas (hot water) necessary to thoroughly disinfect a room through a combination of EPA and Green Seal certified cleaning products and microfiber.
  • Minimizes the possibility of cross-contamination through the use of color-coded microfiber towels and mops.
  • Reduces the cost of chemicals by allowing the purchase and storage of concentrated cleaning products.
  • Decreases the likelihood of complications due to adverse patient reactions to toxic cleaning chemicals.

Outside of proactive sanitation practices, such as a patients access to soap and water, hand sanitizer, and clean towels, additional policies should be established to maintain the health and wellbeing of your office as a whole.

  • High-contact surfaces can be contaminated and spread germs throughout an office within a few hours.  Consider routine sterilization of the patient waiting room during low-capacity periods.
  • HEPA filtered HVAC systems are ideal for controlling the indoor air quality of the facility, so make sure to have the filters checked and replaced routinely, especially in high-dust environments like the Central Valley.  Additionally, have the ducts inspected and cleaned twice a year, typically before the office switches over from cold to heat and back again.
  • A significant volume of dirt and other microbes can be transferred from the outside to your floor, even in a moderately busy office.  Make sure your facility is sufficiently supplied with several high-performance walkway and entry mats.  Also, ensure your floors are mopped nightly, scrubbed weekly, and deep cleaned monthly to protect the health and safety of young children who are likely to be more exposed to germs on the ground.
  • Outsource procedure room cleaning services to a certified vendor to alleviate urgent care staff pressures to balance room turnover with patient care.
  • Check restrooms several times per day to monitor for accidents, messes and resource availability (soap, towels, and toilet paper).
  • Consider implementing a quick disinfection routine to reduce the likelihood of infection or germ transfer in all patient and staff high-traffic areas.
  • Do not neglect employee work or break areas, especially technology equipment (phones, computers, printers) and where food or liquids are consumed (kitchens, water fountains, and snack machines).

 

Takeaway

The upsurge in the number of urgent care facilities is extremely practical, in light of increasing business and health care costs.

Certified green cleaning services are an ideal solution to the many challenges these institutions face while serving as a strategic business and marketing advantage over regional competitors.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of green cleaning services for your urgent care facility, contact us today for a free quote!

In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 395-3009

In Fresno CA, call (559) 473-1790


Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Southern Valley

Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Southern Valley