Sevier Valley Hospital’s Environmental Services (EVS) has achieved a significant milestone in 2020: An accident-free year. Sevier Valley’s EVS team has officially marked 365 straight days (and counting) without an incident.
“I think this is a huge accomplishment for a team who deals with obstacles every day, says Terresa Julander, EVS manager. We’re on the front lines, and for us to go a whole year without an accident is amazing.”
She says it didn’t happen overnight. “We actually took it a little at a time,” says Terresa. “After going one month without an accident, we tried for two months, then three, and so on. After we reached 300 days, our goal took on a whole new meaning.
“As a team, we thought, ‘Can we really reach one year?’ Then, it became a mindset of really being aware of our surroundings—making sure we were focused on using PPE and focused on what was going on around us.”
The collective effort paid off. The EVS team marked a full year without incident on December 2.
Administration recognized the team for their accomplishment that morning, and the next day, according to Terresa, “Everyone on the team said, ‘Let's try for 400 days, and then 500!’ It really took the entire team’s effort to be focused and aware, and to take baby steps. I’m so grateful for each and every one of them.”
“This is an incredible accomplishment,” says Brent Schmidt, Sevier Valley’s administrator. “Our EVS team members have built safety practices into their culture and this has helped them to significantly reduce their caregiver injuries. They hold themselves and each other accountable. To go this long without an injury is a significant milestone.”