Sheri Fink, New York Times
More than 200 people died in hospitals and nursing homes in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, leading to widespread agreement that health care preparedness in the United States needed dramatic improvement.

Jeff Ferenc, Health Facilities Management
The new addition to the Watertown (Wis.) Regional Medical Center (WRMC) and renovation to parts of the existing facility are all about making patient health and wellness top priorities.

Todd Wilkening, Facility Care
In my 35 years of working as a property, facility and construction director for healthcare systems and traveling around the country for this business, I have learned many things about the nature of successful facility managers (FM) and how they impact patients and their facilities.

Laura Landro, Wall Street Journal
Companies say there’s no cause for alarm, but studies suggest they may be dangerous. Now the FDA is preparing to rule.

Joy D'Souza, The Huffington Post Canada
Bed bugs. They're one of the worst house guests to have.

Gillian Mohney, ABC News
The Zika virus outbreak continues to spread throughout the Western Hemisphere and concerns are growing for pregnant women because the mosquito-borne virus has been linked with a serious birth defect called microcephaly, characterized by an abnormally small head and brain in infants.

Infection Control Today
As Zika virus continues to spread across the globe, and gain worldwide attention for its’ potential birth defects, an NAU researcher is calling for greater public awareness of cytomegalovirus—the most common viral cause of birth defects in the United States.

Betsy McKay, Wall Street Journal
A few years ago, the main hospitals in this city, like many across the country, were struggling with rising rates of illness caused by a particularly ferocious bacterium: Clostridium difficile.

Shannon Barnet, Becker's Infection Control & Clinical Quality
If there is one group of clinicians that is particularly pivotal to the success of any quality improvement initiatives — including though regarding hand hygiene compliance — it's the nurses who work on the front lines of patient care.

Infection Control Today
Bacteria have evolved thousands of clever tactics for invading our bodies while evading our natural defenses. Now, UNC School of Medicine scientists studying one of the world’s most virulent pathogens and a separate very common bacterium have discovered a new way that some bacteria can spread rapidly throughout the body – by hitchhiking on our own immune cells.

Nick van Dam and Els van der Helm, Harvard Business Review
In our hyper-connected, 24/7 world, many of us are losing sleep — literally.

Jennifer Cohen, Forbes
Are you a natural born leader?

AHE is gathering input from environmental services departments across the country to identify baseline staffing productivity standards. The results of this data gathering will be used in building staffing models and providing metrics for environmental services directors. You can be a key player in identifying and establishing these important staffing criteria for our industry.

Plan your education for 2016. Visit AHE’s brand-new 2016 ENGAGE site to learn more about educational courses, podcasts, webinars, and events.

The Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) is pleased to announce their Seal of Review and Recognition Program. The AHE Seal of Review and Recognition Program is designed to be a comprehensive review and formalized recognition process aimed at assisting healthcare professionals in selecting training and in-service programs that promote quality, safety and the most favorable outcomes for the healthcare environment and its related disciplines.

EXCHANGE 2016 will be held on September 25-28, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA. This year, EXCHANGE attendees can look forward to:
Infection Prevention Certificate of Mastery Preconference Program for Environmental Services Leaders Preconference Workshop
CHESTPreconference Workshop
Micro Sessions
Healthcare Marketplace

If interested in contributing to EXPLORE by authoring a best-practices article, email Russell Underwood, EXPLORE editor, for more information. The magazine covers all aspects relevant to health care environmental services professionals.

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 Due June 17, 2016.

How environmental services, infection prevention, and health care laundry can enhance linen stewardship and awareness.
Chad Basham, MBA, CHESP, Nellie League, MSN, RN, NE-BC, and Lynn Moreau, BSN, RN, EXPLORE magazine

25 essential considerations for evaluating the health care laundry.
Gregory Gicewicz, EXPLORE magazine