Connect

This is the latest installment in our Connect article series “Hope at Work” — showcasing inspiring stories about how our team members contribute to UVA Health’s 10-year strategic plan: “One Future Together Health and Hope for All.” No matter where you work, you have an opportunity to inspire hope in others. These stories show how:

UVA Health Environmental Services (EVS) in Charlottesville, Virginia is one of our most diverse and welcoming teams. “We have 450 amazing people in our department with incredible backgrounds!” exclaims team leader, Tony Caswell, Resident Regional Director of Operations, who has been with UVA Health for 17 years. “They represent 28 nationalities and speak 22 languages."

That includes 97 team members originally from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria who were embedded with U.S. Armed Forces. Others, says Caswell, were doctors or pharmacists in their home countries and now work as housekeepers.

The diversity of the EVS team not only contributes to a dynamic and cohesive work culture, but also plays an important role in helping patients and their families feel a sense of belonging. “When patients come to UVA Health, they can easily see somebody who looks like them or sounds like them, no matter where they’re from,” says Theresa Jackson, Human Resources Manger, who has been with UVA Health for 14 years. 

Best Place to Work

EVS leadership is committed deeply to supporting and nurturing their team members. “Our housekeepers do amazing jobs, and we try to help them advance,” says Caswell. “We feel that if we can help change their lives, they will make an impact on other people in a positive way.” 

Jackson agrees. “If you have a happy team member, they're going to go into that room showing that they're happy and at peace. That feeling enables them to provide services to our patients with a very positive and upbeat attitude. We have seen the bonding and caring that exists between our housekeepers and how that carries over to patients.” 

Taralyn Wear, MSN, RN, 5 South Nurse Manager, has seen this play out firsthand, with her unit’s EVS team member, Albert, to whom she recently sent a thank you note and gift for his exceptional work. She says he's very well liked among the unit nurses and patients. "Albert has an incredibly positive attitude and can always be found smiling and greeting people he passes," she describes. "He stays busy, keeping the unit neat and tidy. He's always ready to help if we bring up an area that needs EVS attention."

Wear says Albert arrives at her office almost every day to not only take out the trash, but also to chat for a minute about the weather, weekend plans, or other casual conversation. "This demonstrates to me that he's not here simply to do a job, but he feels connected within the unit and with us as colleagues," she explains.

Tools for Success

Data Analyst Kathy Smith says Caswell sets the tone with a “family first” philosophy. “Team members here don't take advantage of it, but they do know that if there is ever anything going on with their family, they don't have to stress if they need to adjust their schedule or take some additional time off,” she explains. “That means so much, especially because so many of our team members come from very large, multi-generational families.”

Beyond flexible schedules, housekeepers at UVA Health receive assistance with education and housing, free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and more. “Just last quarter, we had six people buy their first home, and five others who received their citizenship,” Jackson says. Soon, when it comes to ESL, two-hour classes will be provided twice a week on-site, and team members will be compensated for their time. Work schedules are adjusted to make time for classes, immigration appointments, and other engagements that help team members settle into their new communities.

Smith uses technology and data to empower housekeepers to succeed in their jobs. Not only does she oversee the hospital’s adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology — but she also compiles the data, interfaces with hospital leadership, and reports out to the team to develop new standards and processes.

“By having clear standards, it helps our team provide the best housekeeping services and the most clean and sanitized environment. And by focusing on the standards and the training, it helps us provide patients with a perfect environment. What I really enjoy the most is helping this team.”

Leaders Elevate the Voice of Housekeeping

Caswell says their success would not be possible without leaders who truly care, such as Support Services and Patient Experience Director Sally LaBeau; UVA Health University Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Wendy Horton, PharmD, MBA, FACHE; and Chief Operating Officer Min Lee, MHA, MBA.

"Today, our team is more seen, more heard, and more appreciated. And it's palatable,” says Smith. Case in point: Members of the EVS team were involved in the recent selection of Shenia Thompson, MBA, MSHM, as the new Hospitality and Support Services Administrator. “They gave a voice to housekeepers,” says Smith. “We felt recognized in a new way!"