Exit this survey

Award Information

The AHE Rising Stars Caring for the Healthcare Environment Award was created to recognize outstanding Environmental Services staff members for significant and demonstrable actions toward:

• Developing his/her potential and aspiration to assume a leadership role as an Environmental Services Supervisor, Manager or Director.

• Leading by example and performance excellence in environmental cleaning and surface disinfection.

• Recognition of the critical role environmental services plays in providing a safe, comfortable and high quality patient or resident care environment.

• Minimizing the potential for the contamination of the patient or resident care environment or potential for the transmission of pathogenic organisms that can result in the spread of infection.

Requirement:

Nominee is not required to be an AHE member, but must be nominated by his/her manager, a current AHE member who has been a member for at least one year.

Eligibility:

Environmental services supervisor or front line staff member employed in acute care, long term care, assisted living or Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Employee can be an in-house staff member or can be from a contract management company.

Nominee must have at least two (2) full years of experience in environmental services. Immediate manager must be able to document nominee’s demonstrable actions toward pursuing a career as an ES professional in a supervisory or management capacity.

Award recipients (no more than 3) will receive:

• A one year complimentary membership in AHE.

• Certificate for one complimentary annual conference registration, coach air travel up to $500 (arrangements made through AHE travel agent), up to 4 hotel nights (room and tax only) at the AHE headquarters hotel.

• An engraved award for personal display.

• A check made payable to the winner in the amount of $500. A completed W-9 form will be required to issue payment.

Question Title

* Applicant/Nominee Information

Question Title

* If you are nominating an AHE member, AHE membership is required. Please complete the application by providing your information below:

Nominator Information

Question Title

* Award Criteria:

Using specific stories, testimonies, or formal documentation from human resources or facility leadership, provide a detailed description of how the nominee achieved performance metrics or demonstrated the ability to lead peers to desired outcomes related to the AHE Pillars of Performance Excellence. Documentation must identify specific desirable behaviors exhibited by nominee.

Nominee demonstrates knowledge of basic microbiology and the role of microorganisms in disease transmission.

• Nominee displays behaviors in daily activities that validate clarity around the modes of infection/ disease transmission. Nominee is able to describe to peers how microorganisms are transmitted in healthcare settings.

• Standard and transmission-based precautions: Nominee can correctly demonstrate to manager and/or peers standard and transmission-based precautions for all patient contact in healthcare settings.

• Nominee can explain the categories of transmission-based precautions to their manager or to peers, noting when to initiate the preventive activities of each category.

• Patient or Resident Safety: Nominee can describe or demonstrate occupational health practices that prevent healthcare workers from transmitting infection to patients.

Question Title

* Education:

Recognizes the importance of education and training as tools for advancement. (Provide examples or documentation for at least one (1) bullet listed below)

• Describe how the nominee has assumed a leadership role in mentoring and training new staff on proper departmental policies and procedures or cleaning quality assurance.

• Provide an example of how the nominee explained or demonstrated to peers occupational health practices that would protect themselves, their peers and other healthcare workers from acquiring infection.

• List at least two (2) education or training events that the nominee has attended (in service or external education session/conference) Provide copies of certificates of attendance.

Question Title

* Standards:

Recognizes the ability to think on one’s feet and apply the knowledge related to regulatory bodies that survey facilities for accreditation. (Provide examples or documentation for at least two (2) bullet points listed below)

• Recognition for accurate responses to surveyor or inspector questions during a survey. Describe what was asked and the nominee’s response. Provide surveyor documentation (if available, without breaching confidentiality) or recognition by leadership for a job well done. (Provide the leader’s name and contact information to validate).

• Describe in detail how the nominee has demonstrated application of a section or sections of the CDC Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities.

• Describe in detail how the Nominee has demonstrated the ability to explain the “Right to Know” and the purpose of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to other front line ES staff.

Question Title

* Management:

Manager or peers have witnessed behaviors and leadership characteristics required for advancement in the profession of Caring for the Environment/Environmental Services. (Provide examples, testimonies or documentation for at least three (3) of the main bullets and at least 3 of the bullets under Innovation)

• Nominee collaborates with:

1. Other front line staff to improve departmental efficiencies and productivity.

• Other staff members including clinicians, Infection preventionists, plant operations, transport and/or foodservice mangers to seek input or guidance. Innovation: Nominee has received management acceptance of and departmental implementation of a key recommendation(s) for new products, techniques or processes leading to measured improvement of:

1. Patient or resident satisfaction scores

2. Quality of cleaning and disinfection

3. Practice of hand hygiene

4. Decreased staff absenteeism

5. Cost saving initiatives

6. Recycling activities

• Nominee demonstrates consistent service excellence leading to patient or resident written recognition or commendation, (provide copies) or nominee is named specifically in satisfaction survey(s) (provide copies)

• Critical Thinking: Nominee demonstrates ability to problem-solve and apply knowledge to recognize, contain, and prevent infection transmission including their own role in infection prevention and control (e.g., recognizing unsafe activities, intervening when breaches in infection control are identified).

• Nominee exemplifies the Institute of Medicine's Six Aims for Improvement in Healthcare by providing care and services that are Safe, Patient Centered, Timely, Efficient, Effective and Equitable. (Click here for behaviors specific to IOM Six Aims for Environmental Services)

Question Title

* BONUS RESPONSE:

Describe in detail how the nominee exemplifies the Institute of Medicine's Six Aims for Improvement in Healthcare: Provide baseline data as appropriate. Click here for more information on the Six Aims for Improvement in Healthcare.

Question Title

* I attest that the information contained in this application form is accurate. I understand that this submission becomes the property of AHE.

T