Greener and more efficient housekeeping services at the Lachine Hospital

The Lachine Hospital expansion project promises improvements to the way things are done, including in housekeeping services.

“The modernization project has been in the works for a while now and it's time for it to take off. People are excited about the project and it's no different for housekeeping services,” says manager Joe Vieira, who has been with the hospital for 13 years.

For Housekeeping, the long-awaited project will be a challenge and will require a transition period. “We will have to move people over to the new site and hire new employees to service the new building,” says Joe Vieira. “There will be a lot more work, because each patient room will have their own bathroom, with a toilet and a shower.” Housekeeping services will be responsible for continuing to meet high infection control standards.

The modernization project requires the department to review its practices and equipment. Cleaning routes will be rearranged, and the recycling and waste management centre will be upgraded. “We will be much greener and recycle more, while reducing the overall volume of waste that isn’t recyclable,” says Joe. This overhaul is expected to be completed by June 2022.

Coordination is key to advancing this project

Preparing for the modernization project required close collaboration within the housekeeping team and with other departments. “We worked together and learned from the construction of the Glen,” says Joe. “We integrated the successful points and improved according to the lessons we learnt from previous experiences.” Employee feedback and the desire to improve work organization and work processes as well as the need to have additional space were taken into account.

Each floor will have a large, fully equipped supply closet dedicated to housekeeping, so employees won’t need to search to find the tools they need, like ladders. “Employees are glad they will be able to find all the tools they need on each floor,” says Joe.

Joe is grateful to his employees and colleagues for their support. “At the Lachine Hospital, our employees are always willing to work as a team.”