Environmental Services Team Achieves Certification Milestone

The Department of Environmental Services at Moffitt Cancer Center is emphasizing its commitment to health and patient safety. Forty of its members recently earned the Certified Health Care Environmental Services Technician (CHEST) designation through the Association for the Health Care Environment and the American Hospital Association.  

The certification enhances skills in infection control and waste management, focusing on critical areas like practicing good hand hygiene, wearing proper personal protective equipment, cleaning isolation rooms and following national guidelines.  

The Environmental Services team marked the occasion with an intimate graduation ceremony and reception. Family members and friends joined the celebration as the graduates stood proudly in their graduation caps. Sharing words of encouragement and pride, Moffitt leaders highlighted the prestige of the CHEST certification and congratulated the hard work and dedication of the graduates.  

“We are beyond proud of our Environmental Services team members for achieving the prestigious CHEST designation,” said Tony Sanders, director of Environmental Services. “This is a major step in our continuing efforts to improve patient safety and decrease the risk of health care-associated infections.” 

In addition to the CHEST achievement, many team members earned advanced certifications: 

• Certified Surgical Cleaning Technician: 30 team members certified with a total of 54, representing 41.5% of Florida’s total 

• Certified Non-Acute Care Cleaning Technician: 40 team members certified with a total of 64, making up an impressive 93% of the state’s total 

These accomplishments highlight the team’s commitment to continuous learning, professional development and excellence in patient care. 

Training for Excellence 

To earn the CHEST designation, each team leader completed 24 hours of classroom instruction and two months of study before taking a comprehensive written exam. The exam tested their skills in essential cleaning procedures and their understanding of hospital infection prevention and control practices. 

“There’s immense value in the CHEST certification process,” Sanders said. “Achieving this goal instills pride, confidence and a deep sense of professional accomplishment.” 

Raising the Bar 

“It’s a great achievement for our team,” Sanders said. “This certification shows that we’re not just meeting industry standards, we’re exceeding them. Our Environmental Services team consistently goes above and beyond in both best-practice excellence and patient care.” 

Industry data from the Association for the Health Care Environment shows that organizations with CHEST-certified staff experience lower turnover rates. Moffitt’s Environmental Services department has made professional development a priority, and CHEST certification is now required for all supervisors and above. 

“This is just the first step in our ongoing investment in our team members,” said Terrence Wright, vice president of Facilities and Support Services. “As we expand our facilities, we want to recruit the best and brightest and that means providing opportunities for growth. As Moffitt grows, we want our staff to grow with it.”