Close up of female health worker mops floor in bright hospital room. Nurse brings cleaning trolley to hospital ward. Cleaner takes care of cleanliness in clinic. Medical staff in medical facility.


Updated CMS Patient Survey data determined fewer hospitals received five-star ratings for cleanliness. According to an August report, 381 hospitals received a CMS 5-star rating, a reduction of 15 hospitals from May. These results reveal the importance of patient care in environmental services (EVS) and healthcare cleaning operations.

The ratings report derives from Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys. EVS is often tasked with striking a balance between delivering the operational needs of a healthcare organization and enhancing patient experiences. Often, patient perception is misaligned with quality assessment data, highlighting how imperative it is to improve the visibility of both frontline teams and the work they do.

As hospitals prepare for cold and flu season, EVS teams can review and realign on standard operating procedures (SOPs) that prioritize patient rooms and experiences, address high-touch points in common areas, and create opportunities for collaboration with other departments. Leadership can strengthen SOP compliance by building in time for employees to engage with patients.

EVS teams can also demonstrate adherence to rigorous cleaning and disinfecting protocols by washing their hands. While influenza and COVID-19 activity remains low, as affirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases are slowly increasing. Hand hygiene compliance is imperative to infection control, with one study finding that handwashing and alcohol-based sanitizer usage reduced hygiene-preventable healthcare claims by more than 20 percent.

Learn which hospitals and their EVS teams are leading in quality cleanliness and patient care here.