How To Find The Right Outsourcing Partner for Your Healthcare Organization
For today’s healthcare facility managers and directors, saving money and labor costs is mission-critical. Budgets are tight, the staff is stretched thin, and the pressure to do more with less is palpable.
That’s why outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular in the healthcare industry because it promises to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. However, it can be a daunting task to find the right partner for your business.
There’s a lot at stake when you outsource, so it’s important to vet potential partners and make sure they meet your needs. Carefully interviewing, considering, and selecting the right partner can help you reap great rewards in terms of cost savings, improved services, and greater productivity.
With patients and healthcare professionals more vigilant than ever before, following protocol, adhering to guidelines, and providing quality care are increasingly important. Outsourcing partners should not only meet your cost and efficiency goals — but also provide proven results.
To ensure that you are making the best decision for your organization, there are several key considerations to keep in mind when hiring an outsourcing partner.
WHY YOUR HOSPITAL NEEDS TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL CLEANING
If you’re still on the fence about outsourcing, it’s worth considering the hidden costs of keeping your cleaning operations in-house. With experienced cleaners and specialized equipment, a healthcare outsourcing partner can often provide better results for less money than hiring a separate staff.
Of course, some hospitals are still using in-house staff for cleaning operations. But with the availability of experienced outsourcing partners, many viable options are available to healthcare organizations.
Here are a few of the reasons you should consider hiring a third party to handle technical cleaning for your facility:
SPECIALIZED CLEANING METHODS
A technical cleaning company employs specialized cleaning methods tailored to hospitals’ unique needs, ensuring thorough disinfection and prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
We all know it’s not enough just to mop the floor.
A professional cleaning partner will use advanced technologies such as ultraviolet light, hydrogen peroxide vapor, and other disinfection tools to provide a deeper clean than can be achieved with standard methods. Some jobs require the use of HEPA-filtered vacuums that remove particles as fine as 0.3 microns.
Even if your regular staff has the capabilities to perform a deep clean, they often lack the time and resources to do so effectively. A healthcare outsourcing company can dedicate its full attention to keeping your facility disinfected and germ-free.
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Technical cleaners must comply with stringent standards for healthcare facilities set forth by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The best providers stay up-to-date with the latest regulations, ensuring compliance and protecting your hospital from potential legal issues. This ongoing training comes at no cost to your facility and provides peace of mind that your hospital is in good hands.
IMPROVED PATIENT OUTCOMES
Keeping patients, visitors, staff, and physicians safe and healthy is of the utmost importance for any hospital. Your patient outcomes can improve dramatically with an outside partner dedicated to maintaining a hygienic environment.
From labs to operating rooms to common areas, a healthcare outsourcing company that specializes in technical cleaning can help make sure your hospital is free of germs and bacteria. A clean facility offers enhanced comfort and safety for patients and helps prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
ENHANCED PATIENT AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE
A clean environment isn’t just for health and safety — it can also contribute to a more pleasant experience for patients and visitors.
In some areas, healthcare is competitive, and a pleasant environment can help set your hospital apart from the competition. Plus, if people enjoy their experience in your facility, they are more likely to return or recommend it to others.
A healthcare outsourcing team can help create a more inviting atmosphere for everyone who visits or works at your hospital. It’s an immeasurable benefit that in-house staff cannot provide.
COST SAVINGS
Finally, outsourcing technical cleaning can help you save money.
A professional partner can often provide better results for a fraction of the cost of hiring a separate staff, saving your hospital time and resources while improving safety and quality control.
QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN VETTING YOUR PARTNER
Now that you understand why healthcare outsourcing is a wise choice, you’ll need to find a partner that fits the bill.
We’ll be honest, many cleaning companies claim to offer technical cleaning services, but not all are created equal. Therefore, it’s essential to be careful, cautious, and disciplined in your search for the right provider.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the process and hold your partner to the highest standards of quality. A high-caliber healthcare outsourcing company will be able to answer with transparency, directness, and confidence.
Here are some of the questions we recommend you ask when vetting your partner:
1 – WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN PROVIDING CLEANING SERVICES TO HOSPITALS?
It should go without saying, but if your prospective provider doesn’t have experience with healthcare outsourcing, it should be a hard pass.
Look for a company that has provided cleaning services to hospitals in the past and can offer evidence of their work.
And it’s not enough to have experience.
Ask if they can provide references or case studies demonstrating your industry experience and success. Your healthcare outsourcing candidate should have contacts, case studies, or testimonials readily available from past clients. Often seeing the work is the only way to ensure the provider is up to par.
2 – HOW DO YOU TRAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES?
If the last few years have taught us anything about healthcare, it’s that requirements and guidelines change often — and quickly. That means your healthcare outsourcing provider’s employees must stay up-to-date with the latest regulations, cleaning techniques, and safety requirements to keep your hospital compliant.
Ask how they train their staff members and what processes they have in place for ongoing education. This includes not only OSHA, HIPAA, and EPA compliance but also what systems they use for quality assurance.
A good provider will be specific and offer proof of qualifications and training requirements for all their staff members. This is one job where vagueness is not your friend.
3 – WHAT QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE?
To ensure that your cleaning services meet hospital standards and regulations, all work should be conducted with attention to detail.
Ask your healthcare outsourcing provider about their quality control measures and what systems they use to monitor employee performance and results. It’s also essential to know who will oversee the work, inspect surfaces, and report any issues.
Will your internal staff have a single point of contact, or will a dedicated team be assigned to your hospital? Understanding the supervisory and accountability structure of your partner is essential.
4 – WHAT IS YOUR AVAILABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY?
Hospitals and healthcare facilities are busy — especially if you’re conducting operations and treating emergencies each day.
Finding a partner that can meet your needs in terms of availability and flexibility is essential. Ask what their hours are, how quickly they can respond to requests or changes in scope, and if they offer the services you need.
Some healthcare outsourcing providers may be able to deliver on-site staff for regular cleaning shifts while also offering additional services — like deep cleaning after a healthcare emergency or providing specialized equipment for highly detailed tasks.
5 – WHAT TYPES OF CLEANING SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?
If we had to pick one question on this list to ask every prospective partner, it would be this one.
Be sure to ask about the types of services they offer — with specifics.
The individual needs of healthcare facilities vary greatly. So while they may have experience servicing one type of center, their services may not match your needs. We’ve heard many stories about how healthcare outsourcing partners showed up with the wrong equipment or cleaning formulas – resulting in poor results.
Knowing what services they offer and the types of centers they’ve serviced before will help you determine if they’re a good fit for your facility.
6 – WILL THEY COME IN AND CONDUCT AN AUDIT TO UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF WORK?
Understanding how a provider determines which services your facility needs can tell you a lot about their attention to detail.
They should offer customized solutions tailored to the individual needs of each client. While it’s helpful to have standardized procedures, creating a one-size-fits-all solution for all facilities is impossible.
A healthcare outsourcing partner should be flexible in their approach while being firmly grounded in best practices.
7 – WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO USING ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANING PRODUCTS AND EQUIPMENT?
For many healthcare facilities, sustainability is a priority.
Ask your partner about their eco-friendly cleaning products and equipment. Are they using green chemicals? Do they have any certifications for their sustainable practices?
If the chemicals they use need special treatment for disposal, ask about their process for handling hazardous materials. Ensure they have the training and certification to safely dispose of any cleaning chemicals or waste to avoid damage or health threats to your community.
Good partners will be open to discussing all aspects of their safety practices and why they use the products and equipment they do.
8 – WHAT INSURANCE AND LIABILITY COVERAGE DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE?
When hiring a healthcare outsourcing company, ensuring they have sufficient insurance and liability coverage is important.
Ask your partner about their insurance policies and what kind of protection they can provide to ensure that any accidents or incidents won’t end up costing you money. If someone gets hurt, sick, or falls victim to theft while working on your property, you want to be sure that all costs are covered.
It’s crucial for partners to not only follow their rules but also to follow your guidelines. Part of the onboarding process for healthcare outsourcing should include discussing the policies and procedures they must follow.
A good partner will be able to follow multiple sets of guidelines and craft an SOP that’s unique to your building.
9 – HOW DO YOU ENSURE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF YOUR EMPLOYEES WHILE WORKING?
Ask if your healthcare outsourcing candidates perform background checks on their employees, how they vet new hires, and whether they have any safety protocols in place.
Will they provide you with names and data on the team that will work in your facility? Understanding who is on your premises is vital in today’s world, as is knowing that the people you’re working with are reliable and trustworthy.
10 – DO YOU PROVIDE SERVICES OTHER THAN CLEANING?
Some healthcare outsourcing professionals offer services in addition to cleaning. Being able to combine services from the same provider can save you time and money, as well as simplify maintenance processes.
So ask your candidates if they offer any additional services that may benefit your facility. These could include staffing for repairs and maintenance or support in other departments. The more services they can offer you, the better.
MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION
Asking the right questions starts with understanding your individual needs. That’s why the pre-planning for hiring a healthcare outsourcing company is so important.
Consider establishing a specialized task force to conduct research, evaluate candidates, and make the final decision. This team should be aware of your facility’s needs and problems, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.
The top providers will perform in-depth assessments and offer tailored solutions to ensure that your facility is as safe, efficient, and cost-effective as possible. With the right partner in place, you can rest assured that your facility will be kept clean and compliant with regulations.
GETTING STARTED WITH THE BEST HEALTHCARE OUTSOURCING PARTNER
No matter how you go about it, hiring the right healthcare outsourcing partner is essential. With the right questions and due diligence, you can ensure your facility gets the best service possible.
Doing your research, understanding your needs, and asking detailed questions are all important steps in finding a reliable partner that can deliver safe, effective solutions for a healthier future.
If you’re ready to start working with cleaning professionals who have the expertise needed to provide your healthcare facility with the maintenance it needs, A&A Elevated Facility Solutions is ready to help.
Our teams of specialists are trained to implement the latest cleaning tools and practices to ensure that your facilities are kept in compliance with industry standards. We’ll work with you to create a custom facility cleaning solution that meets your healthcare facility’s unique needs.
Contact us today to learn how A&A can help you provide your staff, patients, and guests with the cleanest facility possible.
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