crothall services group
may 2009
CELEBRATIONS
A member of Compass Group PLC
What CIMS Means to You
Crothall’s Winning
Strategy for Driving
HCAHPS Success
PAGE 6
PAGE 8
Get Full Value
from Your Assets
CE Life Cycle
Part 3
PAGE 10
Inside This Issue
OUR MISSION
In the markets we serve,
we will be recognized as the
premier provider of the best
quality, customer-focused
support services.
up
services gro
crothall
NS
CELEBRATIO
may 2009
A member
of Compass
Group PLC
cover story
What CIMS
Crothall is the first healthcare
support services provider to
earn CIMS certification.
Learn what CIMS means to you.
u PAGE 8
Means to Yo
Crothall’gsfor Driving
Winnin y ccess
PSgSu
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PAGE 6
OUR VALUES
PAGE 8
Value
Get Full ur
sets
from Yo Asle
CE Life Cyc
Part 3
PAGE 10
Crothall’s Winning
Strategy for
Driving HCAHPS Success
10
et Full Value
G
from Your Assests
CE Life Cycle Phase 3
COLLABORATION.
An unyielding commitment
to consistent teamwork in order
to achieve collective goals.
ACCOUNTABILITY.
As a company and as
individuals, we accept full
responsibility for our actions
and the associated outcomes.
features
6
INTEGRITY.
A commitment to forthright,
honest communication in all of
our encounters.
6
12
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT.
Providing the right tools,
training, and support for
professional growth.
LEADERSHIP.
Displaying the passion
to exceed expectations in all
that we do.
crothall services group
12 GreenChoices
for a
Healthy Environment
CELEBRATIONS
A member of Compass Group PLC
13Paul
Levy: The Standard-Bearer
for Support Services
10
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
BOBBY KUTTEH
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/SALES
& MARKETING
BART KAERICHER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/PUBLISHER
TIM POLIZZI
13
EDITORIAL/CONTRIBUTORS
rebecca monroe
DESIGN
Nathan Billman
Photo credit page 13: Diana Lemieux
Celebrations is published quarterly by Crothall
Services Group, a member of Compass Group
PLC. © 2009 Crothall Services Group.
All rights reserved.
955 Chesterbrook Boulevard, Wayne, PA 19087.
in every issue
3
From the CEO
4
Crothall Momentum
14
“Make a Difference”
Winners
FSC LOGO
Made from Recycled Material
2 CELEBRATIONS may 2009
Printed in the USA with
soy-based ink.
From the CEO
“…operational excellence is hardwired into who we are.”
Only one organization can be first. Customers
outsource their support services because they are looking for expertise.
While we have always been successful relying on our satisfied customers
to tell others that we deliver what we promise, until now, no objective
third-party standard had been used to validate the quality of our systems.
After a rigorous process evaluating everything from our systems
documentation to our human resources practices, Crothall is the first
healthcare support services organization to earn CIMS certification
from worldwide cleaning industry organization ISSA. Not only that, but
we achieved certification “with honors.” I am extremely proud of this
official recognition of the great service our associates deliver every day
and the solid organization that supports them in their work.
I believe CIMS sets Crothall apart from our competitors and will instill
confidence in the market that operational excellence is hardwired into
who we are.
Crothall is also the first service provider to develop a comprehensive
and targeted strategy for driving HCAHPS scores in our hospitals.
The Crothall Way is positioning us for long-term success in improving
the patient experience, and there is no other approach like it in our
industry. In this issue of Celebrations, we share some of the keys to
our success over the past few months.
Celebrations always includes special stories about our company and our
people, but in this issue we would also like to share with you the truly
inspirational story of one of our clients. Beth Israel Deaconess CEO Paul
Levy stood up for his hospital’s lower-wage earners in the face of steep
budget cuts. He inspired his entire organization to make bigger sacrifices and find creative ways to save money in order to protect the jobs
of the housekeepers, transporters, and other front-line associates.
Paul Levy’s story is a beautiful example of leadership and integrity that I
am pleased to share with you. It reminds me to count my own blessings
and keep all things in perspective. I am thankful to all of our customers
for giving thousands of Crothall associates the ability to make a difference
in your facilities every day.
All the best,
may 2009 CELEBRATIONS 3
Crothall Momentum
a review of our businesses
Environmental Services
Crothall Standardization
Looks at DNV
Healthcare
Healthcare clients aligned with
ISO 9001, the internationally
recognized set of standards used
to measure quality and accountability in dozens of industries, may
be turning to DNV Healthcare in
its new role as deeming authority
for Medicare participants. DNV’s
accreditation program, known
as NIAHO (National Integrated
Accreditation for Healthcare
Organizations), encompasses the
ISO 9001 practices, becoming
the more practical accreditation
survey process for those hoping
to achieve 2 certifications with
one process. Crothall Environmental Services systems and
standards are currently being
reviewed for alignment with
DNV’s process. According to Rich
Feczko, National Director of
Systems and Standards, Crothall
systems are preliminarily in
compliance. “All departments are
reviewing operations, training,
human resources, safety, and other
requirements, and so far, we are in
total compliance.”
4 CELEBRATIONS may 2009
Laundry & Linen
Patient Transportation
Green Efforts
Produce Green Savings
The “Movement”
to Improve Patient
Experience
Crothall Laundry Services is
proving that going green can also
mean saving money on the
bottom line. Implementation of an
Aqua Compact water reclamation
system at Crothall Laundry
Services–Red Wing in conjunction
with a 16-Pocket Senking automatic, batch-washing tunnel
system has already saved the
hospital over $80,000. GM Mike
Sing and RM Chris Corcoran
worked with Eco Lab to install
the device and measure the
results. In the process, water is
taken from the final rinse zone,
then piped directly back for use
in the initial wash zone and one
wet-out process. 5.5 million fewer
gallons of fresh water, or 41%,
were used with no negative effect
to product quality. With less water,
energy required for heating is
reduced, saving over $80,000.
A sewer meter has also saved
28% on sewer charges since
evaporation in the process
reduces the amount of discharged
water from the plant.
Hospital administrators are
finding that understanding the
nuances of HCAHPS takes expert
service providers dedicated to
improving patient satisfaction.
Crothall Patient Transportation is
exploring a mechanism that will
design and measure seven strategies for this service line. After all,
patient transporters influence the
patient’s first and last impression
of the hospital and every movement during their stay. Our
pending PT patient satisfaction
toolbox will enhance transporters’
ability to serve as hospital ambassadors every time they move
patients.This includes global
service scripting so that we can
positively impact HCAHPS or
any other hospital objective by
establishing supportive two-way
communication with patients.
With serious focus on patients’
needs, expectations, transporter
behavior, and scripting, we can
elevate patient satisfaction to the
next level, retaining loyal patients
and attracting new ones.
Marching for Babies
Facilities Management
Benchmarking
Energy Consumption
Healthcare clients everywhere are
now facing rising utility costs at a
time when their financial health is
more challenged than ever. In an
attempt to provide client savings,
Crothall’s Project Services Group
will benchmark utility consumption
at each of our Facilities Management
healthcare client sites and identify
those accounts that indicate the
greatest opportunity for efficiency
improvements.Those facilities
determined to be performing weakly
will be targeted for a site survey to
identify key drivers behind excessive
utility consumption. Findings and
recommendations will be presented,
including low-cost, operationally
focused improvements that can
be implemented by or through
Crothall’s onsite staff. The performance goal for selected sites will be
to reduce their utility consumption
by 5% within 12 months.
Clinical Equipment Services
Web-Based Service
Requests Expedite
Technician Notification
Clinical Equipment user departments
in hospitals, often mired down by
time wasted in the jumble of forms
or phone calls required to get
service on their equipment, can now
use the web to request service.
Crothall Clinical Equipment Services
now offers direct entry of a service
request through the Internet by any
authorized user in our TeamTRACE
Management software. In facilities
with wireless capabilities, the
request is sent directly to the technicians for immediate attention.The
Service Requester is extremely
user-friendly with simple entry fields.
In addition, the module provides
interactive feedback between the
requester and technicians. Requesters
can even check the status of any
service order directly from their
Internet browser. Equipment
operators, clinical managers, or
administrators are able to generate
a request for service when they
need their life-critical, specialized
equipment to work, 24 hours a day,
7 days a week.
Crothall’s walkers raised donations
that will support lifesaving research,
services, education, and advocacy
that help babies get a healthy start
by teaming up for The March for
Babies. This year’s walk took place on
Sunday, April 26, near Crothall’s
corporate office in Wayne, PA. The
Crothall team included (From L):
Sandy Schuster, Judy Williams, Mary
Birch, Michelle Williams, Nicole
Pasquarello, Imani Frye, Kia Puriefoy,
and Dakota and Sydney Puriefoy.
Donations are still being
received online at:
www.marchforbabies.org (team
name Crothall Services Group)
Following the “Patient Transportation
Welcomes the Compassion of the
Lost Boys of the Sudan” article in our
February Celebrations, Crothall Cares
was moved to help the families of the
eight transporters at Presbyterian
Hospital. Client Tanya Blackmon held
a luncheon to celebrate their story
where they were given the donations.
“They were surprised and very
grateful,” said Director Greg Osganian.
may 2009 CELEBRATIONS 5
feature
The Magic
at the Bedside
Crothall’s focus on personal relationships
is making the difference for HCAHPS success.
Raising the Stakes
14 months ago, when the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) first publicly posted patient
satisfaction scores, it prompted a change in attitudes.
Surveys were no longer just a private tool for internal
improvement, but a public verdict of either excellence
or deficiency.
Hospital CEOs are holding all departments accountable for HCAHPS success as all areas of patient care
affect the hospital’s overall score and, ultimately, CMS
reimbursement. Facility cleanliness remains a highly
visible symbol of hospital quality. In fact, the HCAHPS
Hospital Compare web site provides a Hospital
Checklist listing only a handful of key quality indicators, with facility cleanliness featured among them.
Targeted Strategy
performance and raise scores. In July 2008, Crothall
launched 7 Immediate Strategies for Driving
HCAHPS Scores throughout all of its EVS accounts
nationwide. The Immediate Strategies include key
insights to address commonly overlooked obstacles to
improving scores, as well as establishing a solid
foundation for future success. In October 2008,
Crothall rolled out the second phase of this HCAHPS
initiative, The Crothall Way: Driving HCAHPS Scores
for Success. The Crothall Way is a long-term approach
to hard-wiring success by addressing patient interaction, employee satisfaction, and visual and frequency
triggers to directly influence the patient’s perception
of hospital room cleanliness.
Being a pioneer in HCAHPS strategy and monitoring
the results have given Crothall insight into what really
makes an impact with patients. These findings have
become the core of Crothall’s winning strategy and
are the keys to driving HCAHPS success.
Crothall is the first Environmental Services provider to
develop a comprehensive strategy to target HCAHPS
6 CELEBRATIONS may 2009
For more information about our
Employee Satisfaction
and Engagement
Great patient satisfaction comes down to a superior
support staff that is engaged and invested in making an
impact on patients. None of this is possible unless the
front-line associates feel valued themselves and part of a
critical component of patient care. When housekeepers
understand that cleanliness protects patients from
infection, they are more likely to see the importance of
their jobs. Unfortunately, this central concept can be lost
in the day-to-day priorities of their demanding jobs. If
management doesn’t communicate in these terms, it is
unlikely that the staff will embrace this key understanding.
Employee engagement is essential to the team’s effectiveness and quality. Crothall addresses the relationship
between managers and hourly staff and among hourly
workers, even across different shifts. Some of these issues
are as basic as showing respect, acting as a team, and
sharing the resources necessary to get the job done.
Without employee satisfaction, everything else suffers,
including patient satisfaction. The staff will not care about
the hospital’s goals and strategies unless it feels valued,
engaged, and important.
Focus on Communication
At Bergen Regional Medical Center in NJ, Crothall’s
Immediate Strategies have delivered encouraging results.
From an average “%Always” HCAHPS cleaning score of
71% in the second quarter of 2008 (just before implementation), average scores trended upward for the year to
76%, while the average for the state of NJ has been 66%.
The hospital’s Press Ganey rank for the HCAHPS cleaning
question moved from the 59th to 75th percentile in 2008.
It is the “magic” that happens at
the bedside, the connection between
people, that makes all the difference.
Crothall EVS Director Luis Joglar has implemented The
Crothall Way with a specific focus on improved communication—with the associates, clinical users, and patients.
The team celebrates success (one of the 7 Key Drivers)
through public recognition, with the entire staff gathering
to applaud a job well done by a particular unit. Associates’
birthdays and milestones are recognized and celebrated
by the department. The staff and managers round for
results, speaking to the patients every day to get to know
them. The EVS department has also made great strides
in interfacing with Nursing. VP of Facilities Herman
Lindenbaum says,“Nurses know their patients and what
they need at the right time. They are the gatekeepers to
patient satisfaction.” He has been happy with the increase
in HCAHPS scores and expects nothing less than the best.
“I am looking forward to even more success, and I am
always optimistic.”
Beside Manner
It is widely understood that because the HCAHPS survey
measures frequency of care as opposed to quality of care,
it takes more than just good cleaning to raise scores for
the HCAHPS cleaning question. Success depends on
patient interactions or “touches.” Interestingly, Crothall’s
research has found that it is not necessarily the number of
touches that boosts scores, but the quality of each touch,
with hourly and management staff. It is the “magic” that
happens at the bedside, the connection between people,
that makes all the difference.
Crothall’s strategy involves connecting with patients to
find out what they really think. This allows management
to address the source of complaints and get to the root
causes to make the patient’s experience positive. The goal
is to discover what is really preventing the staff’s ability to
raise scores. For instance, even the most skilled and
engaged housekeepers will have difficulty connecting
with a particular patient if they are constantly pulled from
their normal routine to cover discharges or other tasks.
Above and beyond identifying and overcoming obstacles,
what Crothall is really trying to accomplish is a fundamental
shift in thinking. The goal is to change the staff’s attitude
from one of taking care of requests to one of building a
relationship with the patient. With this “all hands on deck”
attitude, cleaning the room is viewed as only a part of the
worker’s responsibility to the patient. Cleaning is a means
to provide great care to the person; it is not an end to itself.
may 2009 CELEBRATIONS 7
solutions, please call 1-877-4CROTHALL.
cover story
Crothall’s Operations Certified with Honors
The Mark of Genuine Excellence
In 2008, Crothall Services Group joined other building
service contractors seeking outside, third-party
validation of the quality of its cleaning standards by
the International Sanitary Supply Association (“ISSA”),
the leading worldwide cleaning trade association. Like
all quality-minded cleaning organizations, Crothall
has its own set of highly disciplined standards and
customer service practices. However, when the ISSA
announced the development of the Cleaning Industry
Management Standard
(“CIMS”), a consensusbased standard of excellence, formed over years
of management experience, Crothall decided to
put our own practices to
the industry test.
“Our healthcare clients are in the business of caring
for patients, and, while they desire healthy environments, they must rely on someone else’s expertise to
create them,” National Director of Standards Rich
Feczko explained.“It’s hard for them to know, except
through the arduous process of checking references,
looking at standards manuals, and understanding
metrics, if they are choosing the best Environmental
Services partner. Even then, much of the decision is
based on trust rather than on the recommendation of
a third-party expert.”A CIMS certification, on the other
hand, should quickly allow a client to distinguish one
service provider from another. This designation
guarantees that the organization has passed a rigorous
certification checklist of mandatory and recommended
program requirements and that ISSA Certified Experts
(“ICE”Assessors) have inspected and verified that the
ISSA standards are in place.
In January 2009, Crothall received CIMS certification
with honors, becoming the first healthcare service
provider to align its standards with the ISSA. Clients
who are required to perform a due diligence for all
contractors sift through piles of proposals hoping
to find those whose standards of excellence and
professionalism match their own. Now, they can easily
identify quality organizations for consideration simply
by looking for CIMS certification.
“It is quite an honor for Crothall management systems
and processes to be validated by an organization
respected industry wide,” commented CEO Bobby
Kutteh. “Achieving this designation will reassure our
clients that they have put their trust in the right
organization, and that Crothall represents the best this
industry has to offer.”
8 CELEBRATIONS may 2009
For more information about our
The Framework Behind the Mark
A closer look at the CIMS framework reveals its powerful construction built around five
universally accepted quality principals.
1. Quality Systems
Starting with a system of recording, maintaining, and
always improving quality requirements instantly
indicates that the climb to ISSA’s state of sanitation
perfection will be ruggedly uphill, a continuous state
of progressive quality improvement for the organization.
2. Service Delivery
Standardizing delivery of service to its customers
holds the organization accountable to business
practice excellence.This is where the rubber meets
the road, documenting the organization’s unique
practices in workloading, work plan, work instructions, a staffing plan, and contingency planning at the
customer site.
3. Human Resources
A CIMS-certified organization is required to develop
written policies and practices for efficiently and
effectively managing people in a way that enhances
their performance, and thus, the performance of the
organization.
Improving operational efficiency and better serving
customers is the ultimate aim of aligning our processes
with a broad-based standard such as the one the ISSA has
developed. According to ISSA literature, CIMS represents
a “touchstone resource, a common rallying point around
which all members of the industry can gather and work
toward achieving an unprecedented level of professionalism and excellence.”
4. Health, Safety, & Environmental Stewardship
CIMS defines excellence in cleaning services as “safe,
healthy, and sustainable.” Standards aligning with
OSHA and state requirements are addressed in the
standard. In addition to safety practices, a documented,
public environmental policy, with a written statement
of the organization’s commitment to environmental
ethics, must be implemented and maintained.
5. Management Commitment
This final piece of standardization covers an organization’s instituted management systems, including
assurances for times of organizational change. While
a Mission, Vision, and Values are mandatory in this
area, emphasis on a clearly defined organizational
chart, a Communication Plan, and compliance with
government laws, insurance, and licensing, all fall in
the mandatory category.
Crothall Services Group is proud to be one of the first,
and the only healthcare service provider, to achieve CIMS
certification. According to Rich Feczko, the achievement
helped solidify company efforts.“It’s at the core of what
we do. The CIMS process in concert with our existing
standards strongly enhances our field operations,
corporate support, and client value. Our clients should
know that having a CIMS Honors designee as an
Environmental Services partner means they have chosen
the best provider in the industry.”
may 2009 CELEBRATIONS 9
solutions, please call 1-877-4CROTHALL.
feature
Clinical
Equipment
Life Cycle
We round out
Phase III: Disposition
our series on the
The third and final phase of the
equipment life cycle includes all
the options for removing a device
from a hospital once it is no longer
needed. While the goal of proper
management and support is to
maximize a device’s useful life, at
some point, all clinical equipment
will reach end of life and need to
be retired.
clinical equipment
life cycle and how
Crothall partners
with our clients
every step of
the way
While it is impossible to predict
the exact life span of a particular
device, there are ways to estimate
life expectancy. The American
Hospital Organization publishes a
guide entitled Estimated Useful
Lives of Depreciable Hospital
Assets, which can help establish
expectations for equipment life.
A device may be disposed of
because it is exhibiting repetitive
failures and repair is no longer a
cost-effective option. It may be
out of support by the OEM,
meaning a hospital can no longer
obtain service or parts. Or it may
be functioning perfectly, but no
longer meets the clinical needs of
the facility. Whatever the cause,
there are steps to consider to
ensure proper disposition.
De-Installation Planning
and Coordination
In most cases, when a hospital
disposes of one piece of equipment,
it replaces it with a new device. This
process requires planning to ensure
it goes smoothly with minimal
down time, especially in the case of
more complex equipment. Before
any equipment is de-installed, the
hospital will have gone through the
planning and acquisition stage for
replacement equipment (see Phase I
of the life cycle).
Repair/Replace
Recommendations
Sometimes, malfunctioning
equipment costs too much to fix.
One of the advantages of having a
partner is to help determine the
cost-effectiveness of repairing a
device versus replacing it. Crothall
10 CELEBRATIONS may 2009
For more information about our
A
c
&
Capital Planning Consultancy
Equipment Acceptance
Vendor Neutral
In-Service Education
Equipment Assessment
Proposal Evaluation
Preventive and
Corrective Maintenance
TeamTRACE Data
Patient Safety
Reduced/Deferred
Capital Expenditures
Regulatory Compliance Confidence
Installation Planning
and Coordination
Extended Life
e
nag
Plann
ing
Ma
in
a
/M
in
ta
q
s
ui
Use
/
n
itio
Utilization Management
De-Installation Planning and Coordination
Repair/Replace Recommendations
Decommissioning & Storage
Resale Market
Disposal
Disposition
uses an OTEL (One-Time Expenditure
Limit) as a guideline to determine
whether the ROI on repairing
equipment is sufficient. In addition,
Crothall’s TeamTRACE database
contains historical data on the
thousands of devices we manage,
which can help identify a history of
problems for a device. Even in cases
where repair is included in a service
plan, the resulting down time from
a recurring problem can reduce
revenues for the hospital. And
equipment defects can pose safety
risks to patients and clinical users.
Decommission & Storage
Retiring a piece of equipment is
not as simple as it may seem. For
regulatory reasons, there must be
documentation showing what
happens to equipment that is no
longer used. The Joint Commission
requires that every device still in
service is accounted for and receives
preventive maintenance. Any equipment not being serviced must be
proven to be decommissioned.
Crothall’s TeamTRACE application
can keep track of all hospital
equipment, whether or not Crothall
services it, and produce documentation as needed. In cases where
decommissioned equipment is to
be stored for potential later use, it
should be marked with a notice that
Clinical Engineering must inspect it
before it can be used.
Resale Market
Decommissioned equipment may
still have resale value, even if it is just
sold for parts. Crothall’s Technical
Resource Center can assist with
equipment resale through its many
vendor contacts. It can be donated to
third-world countries unable to afford
new devices. A hospital looking to
upgrade its equipment could sell it to
a smaller facility or imaging center to
help offset the purchase price of the
new technology.
Crothall was able to help Adventist
Health System find new life for a
$950,000 device that was about to be
replaced. When Park Ridge Hospital
in Fletcher, NC, wanted to upgrade its
8-slice CT to a 64-slice CT unit, it
negotiated a trade-in with the OEM.
Crothall Regional Manager John
Gibson and Unit Manager Rick
Padgett realized that fellow Adventist
facility Manchester Memorial Hospital
in Manchester, KY, was looking to
upgrade its single-slice CT at the same
time. Crothall coordinated the
de-installation and reinstallation of the
8-slice CT over at Manchester, helping
Park Ridge offset the cost of its
acquisition. The single-slice unit was
donated to a clinic in Nepal to help
serve the needs of third-world patients.
Park Ridge CFO Kelly Pettijohn appreciates this kind of partnership from a
support provider:“Crothall has always
been a partner, looking for new ways
to improve our processes as well as
save money.”
Disposal
Once all avenues have been exhausted, all equipment will eventually be
disposed of. Even this relatively
straightforward event can benefit
from outside expertise. Coordination
of recycling, scrap-metal sale, or
waste-hauling services requires some
knowledge of regulations and
process. There is often a better
solution to proper equipment
disposal than simply tossing everything in the hospital’s dumpster.
Even at the end of equipment’s life, it
is useful to have an expert partner to
provide guidance. There may still be
value in retired equipment, and there
are often processes that should be
followed to dispose of them properly.
Because clinical equipment is part of
a cycle, the end of one device means
the beginning for a new one.
Management and oversight of this
continuum is improved with a
dependable partner helping every
step of the way.
may 2009 CELEBRATIONS 11
solutions, please call 1-877-4CROTHALL.
What Is Crothall Doing
to Help Our Clients Go Green?
Supporting the health of your patients and staff requires a commitment to
fostering a healthy environment.
Crothall Services Group offers flexible choices in the delivery of our programs
to support the Green initiatives of our clients. We work with you to develop
best-fit programs sensitive to the environment without sacrificing quality.
Cleaning Products
& Tools
Environmentally Friendly
Laundry Initiatives
Energy Consumption
Reduction
Waste Reduction
& Management
Compass
Group 360°
Crothall is your partner for a healthy environment.
More information about your GreenChoices with Crothall will be announced soon.
12 CELEBRATIONS may 2009
BIDMC’s CEO Paul Levy: The Standard-Bearer for Support Services
Much acclaim has come to Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center
(“BIDMC”) CEO Paul Levy as
standard-bearer for all lower-wage
earners facing cutbacks for healthcare,
especially the support people who
care for his two million-square-foot
facility. Facing budget cuts head on
takes courage, but it helps when the
people are on your side.When Levy
stood before a town hall meeting and
appealed to higher-wage earners to
help him find ways to save money
without having to hand out pink slips
to the lower-paid workers, he didn’t
know what to expect.The audience
responded with overwhelming
numbers of ideas, offering to give up
raises, contributions to 401(k)s, taking
early retirements, or working fewer
hours. As a result, Paul Levy was able
to act on the mandate to exempt his
grade 1-4 workers from the cost
cutting, even guaranteeing annual
increases for these support associates.
In reponse, BIDMC’s towering CEO
was heralded in the Boston Globe,
on Yahoo! News, and in Paul
Schuster’s column on Dateline
MSNBC. According to Boston Globe
columnist Kevin Cullen’s piece on
March 12, 2009,
Levy had been working around
the hospital, noticing little things.
He stood at the nurses’ stations,
watching the transporters, the
people who push the patients
around in wheelchairs. He saw
them talk to the patients, put
them at ease, make them laugh.
He saw that the people who push
the wheelchairs were practicing
medicine. . . . He watched the
people who polish the corridors,
who strip the sheets, who empty
the trash cans, and he realized
that a lot of them are immigrants,
many of them had second jobs,
most of them were just scraping by.
The above column has reached
legend status as, according to Yahoo!,
over 14,000 readers read and forwarded the story to others, making it the
most emailed story in recent history.
For the Crothall Environmental
Services and Patient Transportation
associates who clean the hospital, the
real miracle lay in Levy’s recognition
of the staff’s worth and the hard
times many of them faced.The CEO
realized that some had to work 2 or 3
jobs just to get by because spouses
had already lost jobs.“Our people
know that the hourly support folks
have as much if not more contact
with our patients and are valuable to
the organization,” said Levy. And
that’s why the response to his town
hall meeting request, including cheers
and a standing ovation, touched him
beyond comprehension.“I knew
people would agree with me,” he said,
“but I never expected that show of
support. It was a sweet moment.”
The Role of Transparency
Many have asked why the story
created such a tidal wave of emotion,
one that swept away fear and feelings
of entitlement. Senior Vice President
Lisa Zankman claims it’s Paul’s
practice of transparency that opened
the floodgates.“People respond to
him because he is open and available.
They try to emulate his style.”
“Our people know that their future
doesn’t lie behind closed doors at the
mercy of cloak and dagger strategies,”
EVS Director Mike Kennedy explained. Hundreds of emails later,
each and every idea for savings
contributed to a plan to save jobs for
the hourly people at BIDMC.
With an arsenal of communication
venues (blogs and Facebook included)
at his command, the popular CEO
counts on all of his people to guide
him in the right direction.“The
associates on the floors have the
wisdom of the people,” said Levy,“and
if you don’t feel you can trust or
listen to the people you work with,
either they are in the wrong place or
you are in the wrong place!”
may 2009 CELEBRATIONS 13
“Make a Difference”
While piloting a
challenging new
program, Beverly
Lewis and Tonya
Gilyard learned that
no matter how well
they cleaned, a patient’s environment
didn’t sparkle until
they touched her
heart.
Beverly Lewis and
Tonya Gilyard
University Hospital
Augusta, GA
When his new
department needed
a Santa to deliver
Christmas to its
adopted families,
John Rinehart
came to the rescue.
John Rinehart
Community Memorial Healthcenter
South Hill, VA
Nominated by Mike Hankins, Director EVS
Nominated by Pam Corley, Director EVS
University Hospital’s pilot of a new cleaning
strategy provided two leads, Beverly Lewis and
Tonya Gilyard, the opportunity to demonstrate
compassion.While piloting the new cleaning program, the
ladies found they could make a difference in several
patients’ lives by giving them “Care Bears.” Should they
find a patient who was feeling lonely, depressed, or
anxious,Tonya and Beverly would give them one of the
little stuffed animals.This was the case with one
particularly down patient who they found crying. After
Beverly and Tonya gave her the Care Bear, they saw a major
transformation in the patient. She made the bear a constant
companion, taking it to physical therapy and for strolls
down the hall. Her gratitude was overwhelming, and she
thanked the two women endlessly for her new “friend.”
These two women understood that no matter how well
they cleaned, a patient’s environment didn’t sparkle until
they touched her heart.
14 CELEBRATIONS may 2009
This past Christmas was the first one that John
worked in the EVS department at CMH. As the
holiday approached, his new department made plans to
collect food, toys, and clothing for several adopted
families. There was only one hitch: they needed a Santa.
Even though he was new, John came to the rescue, and his
talents were soon made known throughout the facility.
First, he took on the job of being Santa for the hospital,
visiting patients and residents in both the hospital and the
extended care facility. He came in on his day off to be
Santa for hospital employees’ kids.Then, when the EVS
staff was ready to bring Christmas to its “families,” John
and his family helped. Not only did Santa drive the van,
but he also delivered toys to needy kids in two counties
of rural Virginia. For his role, John received hospital
recognition as employee of the month and the
department received the Salvation Army “Service to
Others” award.
winners
An emergency room
With a single act
“condition red” and
of thoughtfulness,
a panicked hearing-
“Moe” Moser starts
impaired patient
a grass-roots
benefit from Ronald
appreciation
Taylor’s leadership
movement through-
and knowledge of
out his hospital
sign language.
and community.
Ronald Taylor
Our Lady of Lourdes
Binghamton, NY
Nominated by Diane Politowski, Director EVS
Milton “Moe” Moser
University of Texas Health
Science Center, Tyler
Tyler, TX
Nominated by Darin Hollis, Director CES
As Lead Housekeeping Aide, Ron knew that an
emergency department “condition red,” a hospital
code indicating there were 10 or more patients waiting to
be seen and no inpatient beds available, meant all hands
on deck. When the announcement was made, Ron went
directly to the ER to see if the housekeeping department
could provide additional support. Upon arriving, Ron saw
a hearing-impaired patient becoming very anxious and
starting to panic.The ER staff had already called for an
interpreter, who wasn’t due to arrive for 30 minutes. Ron
immediately offered his sign language skills, and talked
with the patient, calmed him down, and assisted the
nursing staff until the interpreter arrived. Ron truly went
above and beyond to make a difference for this patient.
Bio-Med techs rarely get to interface with the
hospital patients they work hard to serve. However,
Moe Moser recently had a galvanizing effect on his director
when he witnessed Moe talking to an older gentleman
seated alone in the radiology waiting room. Director Darin
Hollis noticed a change in the gentleman’s expression
when Moe finished speaking with him. Darin noticed the
older man was wearing a military cap and had a smile
extending from ear to ear. “Any time I see a military
person,” Moe explained when Darin asked him about it
later, “I make it a point to stop and shake that person’s
hand and express my gratitude for their sacrifice in
keeping America safe and our freedoms strong.”
“I don’t know about you, but this changed my outlook,”
said Darin, who now finds himself along with many
others, both at the hospital and in the community,
stopping to greet both active military or veterans.“It’s
simple and easy…and it means the world to them.”
MAY 2009 CELEBRATIONS 15
FIRST CLASS
PRESORT
U.S.POSTAGE
CROTHALL SERVICES GROUP
955 Chesterbrook Blvd.
Wayne, PA 19087
PAID
PERMIT 286
SEPA 19399
www.crothall.com
1-877-4CROTHALL
Our Employees
“Make a Difference”
Meet Crothall employees who demonstrate through their actions
what it means to truly “Make a Difference.”
Beverly Lewis and
Tonya Gilyard
While piloting a challenging
new program, Beverly Lewis
and Tonya Gilyard learned
that no matter how well they
cleaned, a patient’s environment didn’t sparkle until they
touched her heart.
John Rinehart
When his new department
needed a Santa to deliver
Christmas to its adopted
families, John Rinehart
came to the rescue.
Ronald Taylor
An emergency room
“condition red” and a
panicked hearingimpaired patient benefit
from Ronald Taylor’s
leadership and knowledge of sign language.
Milton “Moe” Moser
With a single act of
thoughtfulness, Moe
Moser starts a grass-roots
appreciation movement
throughout his hospital
and community.