January 30, 2008

Going Green and Staying Clean at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD

At Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD, the Environmental Services department, managed by Crothall Services Group, is taking steps to deliver a cleaner, healthier environment, while ensuring that it is done in the most earth-friendly manner possible.  And best of all, the introduction of Green chemicals has actually improved infection control.

One key tool in this program has been JohnsonDiversey’s Oxivir disinfectant.  While other disinfectants require a contact time of 10 minutes, and are often wiped up prematurely, this product requires only 60 seconds and leaves no residue.  Oxivir has been highly effective in destroying pathogens such as MRSA, Hepatitis C, and Norovirus.  The active ingredient is Hydrogen Peroxide, which biodegrades into water and oxygen and is completely safe to the environment; in fact, this is the first hospital-grade disinfectant of its kind to achieve US Environmental Protection Agency registration.

For general multi-purpose cleaning, the department has adopted JohnsonDiversey’s Alpha-HP solution, which has received Green Seal certification.  To earn this designation, cleaning agents at non-diluted strength must be non-toxic to human, animal, and aquatic life, non-corrosive and non-irritating to eyes and skin, combustion free, and contribute neither to indoor nor outdoor pollution.

In addition to Green chemicals, Suburban Hospital has made the move from traditional mops to microfiber technology.  Clean mop heads are used once and never dipped in dirty water before being laundered and readied for their next use.  This technique saves water and prevents cross-contamination from one area to the next.

In order to make these forward-thinking practices most effective at Suburban Hospital, staff members participated in training for proper cleaning and infection control techniques using the new products.  Crothall’s management team was instrumental in these efforts.  The combination of new training, chemicals, and tools has even resulted in a 10% decrease in antibiotic use, indicating a significant reduction in the infection rate at the hospital.

At Suburban Hospital, “Going Green” does not mean sacrificing quality.  Crothall is proud to be a part of this program that is both effective and environmentally responsible.