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Originally published on April 29, 2020
When Mila Alonzo goes in to clean a patient room, she tries to imagine that it鈥檚 her mother, father or brother who will be occupying the space. It's a scenario that helps put a human face on a sometimes overwhelming situation.
Though doctors and nurses often appear in the forefront in the fight against COVID-19, it鈥檚 the environmental services team (housekeeping) that plays a crucial role in cleaning, sanitizing and controlling infection within the hospital, directly impacting the patient experience.
鈥淩ight now my job is stressful, but it doesn鈥檛 help me if I worry about things. I try to control what I can,鈥� Mila says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to deal with the reality we face right now and do the best job that we can.鈥�
In many ways, the daily work this team does hasn鈥檛 changed 鈥� they just do more of it now.
鈥淲e focus on 'high-touch' areas like doorknobs and light switches, cleaning them many times a day,鈥� says Mila.
And once a COVID-19 patient has been discharged from a room, the team dons protective gear and prepares for a "double terminal clean."
鈥淲hereas we used to clean a room once after a patient leaves, we now double down to clean it thoroughly once and then a second time,鈥� explains Stephen Cook, manager of support services at MGH.
Redeployment means more training
While areas like the COVID-19 Assessment Centre and staff screening zones have opened up, other areas of the hospital have ramped down services or closed entirely. And that means that staff in those areas have been redeployed to environmental services.
鈥淲e鈥檝e trained between 25 to 30 redeployed staff over the past few weeks,鈥� says Stephen. 鈥淲e鈥檙e giving them a crash course in how to use cleaning chemicals safely, and partnering them with more experienced employees to work in tandem in places like the emergency department, screening zones and respiratory areas where more support is needed.鈥�
Like her colleague Mila, Luzminda Ardo struggles with feelings of fear and stress when she leaves her home to come to work, but she knows that the work she does is so important.
鈥淚 know I have to fight those feelings so I keep myself busy by doing my job and making a cleaner environment for the benefit of everyone,鈥� Luzminda says.
She's part of a resilient group who is used to dealing with change.
鈥淥ur team really shines despite adverse circumstances,鈥� says Stephen. 鈥淲hen the situation calls for it, our staff is very flexible and always willing to help out. They know they play a critical role in the operations of the hospital and it鈥檚 nice to see that acknowledged by the hospital and by the community.鈥�