When leaders embrace datadriven decisionmaking, foster transparency, and champion collaboration, they empower their teams— and the entire organization— to deliver timely, safe, and efficient care.”
discharge patterns, and competing priorities like STAT cleans and isolation protocols. Siloed optimization— where each department focuses only on its own metrics— inevitably undermines throughput for the entire organization. The solution lies in cross-functional transparency, shared goals, and collective accountability.
Blueprints for Success: High-Performing EVS Departments What sets leading EVS teams apart? They embrace best practices such as:
• Real-time bed management dashboards
• Active EVS participation in discharge planning huddles
• Staffing models tailored to discharge curves
• Tiered response protocols for STAT and routine cleans
• Clear service level agreements( SLAs)
• Percentile-based performance reviews
Education is the linchpin. When every department— nursing, case management, EVS leaders, and bed management— understands their interdependencies, throughput improves for all.
Action Steps: A Roadmap for EVS Leaders To operationalize these insights, EVS leaders should: 1. Master the bed management system and leverage data analytics. 2. Analyze historical trends to identify improvement opportunities. 3. Set incremental, achievable goals for reducing turnaround time. 4. Evaluate core KPIs— response time, cleaning duration, and total turnaround time. 5. Prioritize response time, often the greatest source of delay. 6. Align staffing schedules with predictable discharge surges. 7. Benchmark STAT cleaning rates and address outliers collaboratively. 8. Foster transparency by sharing monthly KPI reports. 9. Invest in staff training, ensuring every team member knows their impact. 10. Recognize and support individual performance. 11. Consider appointing an EVS coordinator to oversee bed board communication and resource allocation.
A Case in Point: From 95 Minutes to 60— and Beyond The journey is real. Between 2019 and 2024, our EVS team reduced average turnaround time from more than 95 minutes to just 60 minutes— a 30-minute improvement with tangible impact on hospital operations and patient care. Setbacks in 2025 due to staffing challenges were met with renewed focus, bringing averages back under 65 minutes. The path was rarely linear, but the progress was both measurable and sustainable.
Charting the Future of Operational Excellence In conclusion, patient throughput is not the responsibility of a single department, but EVS holds one of the most influential levers in the process. When leaders embrace data-driven decision-making, foster transparency, and champion collaboration, they empower their teams— and the entire organization— to deliver timely, safe, and efficient care.
The journey requires persistence, openness to challenge the status quo, and a commitment to investing in people. Our experience proves what’ s possible: with focus and teamwork, dramatic improvements in throughput are both achievable and sustainable.
As healthcare continues to evolve, EVS will remain a cornerstone of operational success. Leaders who rise to this challenge and equip their teams for excellence will not only optimize room turnover but strengthen the entire patient care experience for years to come.
Joseph Salvione is the senior director of support services at Ellis Medicine in Schenectady, N. Y., where he oversees dining & nutrition and environmental services operations across multiple campuses.
Michael Parker, CMIP, T-CHEST, T-CNACC, T-CSCT, is chief operating officer of P & P Consulting.
march-april 2026 • www. healthcarehygienemagazine. com •
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