Environmental Services Team Leader

St. Luke’s University Health Network•Bethlehem, PA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Team Leader will coordinate, plan and implement the scheduled work activities of the Environmental Services staff while serving as the primary daily point of contact between the department and patients on assigned units. Conducts structured patient rounding to assess cleanliness satisfaction, resolve patient concerns in real time, and translate patient feedback into frontline coaching. Monitors assigned areas throughout the work shift and observes the quality and effectiveness of departmental employees, providing for the general cleaning of the hospital environment in order to achieve quality results set forth in the hospital’s cleaning and disinfection requirements.

Requirements

High School Diploma or G.E.D.
Three years of experience in housekeeping in either a hospital or institutional setting preferred.
Prior patient-facing healthcare experience, or experience supporting patient experience or HCAHPS cleanliness improvement, preferred.
Prior lead or supervisory experience preferred.

Nice To Haves

college preferred
Certified Environmental Services Healthcare Professional (CHESP) or Certified Health Care Environmental Services Technician (CHEST) preferred.
CHEST Train-the-Trainer (T-CHEST) designation preferred, or willingness to obtain within a defined period following hire, to support in-house training and certification of departmental staff.

Responsibilities

Conducts daily patient rounding on assigned units, completing rounds on a minimum of 60% of occupied rooms per shift.
Introduces self and the Environmental Services department to the patient using the AIDET framework, confirms room and bathroom cleanliness, and asks directly whether anything needs attention.
Resolves patient concerns during the round when possible; initiates service recovery and escalates unresolved issues to the charge nurse and Environmental Services management prior to the end of shift.
Documents rounding volume, patient comments, and corrective actions in the designated tracking tool; reviews trends with staff and department leadership.
Delivers real-time coaching to Environmental Services staff based on rounding observations, reinforcing correct technique at the point of care rather than solely reporting deficiencies.
Partners with nursing leadership through scheduled joint rounds to align on unit-specific priorities, discharge turnover expectations, and isolation room requirements.
Maintains a regular rounding schedule with assigned staff, peer Team Leaders, and other hospital departments to support engagement, retention, and cooperative working relationships.
Reviews unit-level patient experience cleanliness scores with assigned staff and adjusts assignment focus based on trends; develops and implements a documented action plan for any assigned unit performing below the departmental threshold.
Coordinates the opening of the shift, assigning staff to work schedules and issuing keys and pagers in the absence of the supervisor or operational team leader.
Coordinates work assignments and delegates work to Environmental Services staff as assigned.
Actively responds to issues concerning policies and procedures as they relate to Environmental Services staff.
Monitors the EPIC bed tracking system throughout the shift, ensures departmental turnaround time targets are achieved, and reports response time performance to management.
Ensures all discharges and transfers are completed in a timely manner, verifying turnover quality prior to release of the bed.
Assists in the orientation of new employees through training and working with them in assigned area(s).
Assists in the planning, monitoring and implementation of the Environmental Services daily functions.
Revises work assignments to offset absences or achieve workload demands as needed.
Coordinates, tracks, and evaluates team cleaning functions, documenting activities and performance as needed.
Responds to emergency calls and shifting priorities as needed to coordinate staffing changes and minimize disruption to patient care areas.
Assists in performing housekeeping duties during critical staff shortages.
Completes quality control inspections and monitors follow-up on results to meet hospital acceptable standards.
Monitors and documents hazardous waste areas, inventory and usage of consumable supplies, notifies management of ordering needs, and reports equipment repair requirements.
Adheres to all organizational safety, risk management, and infection prevention and control standards; promotes a culture of patient safety through observation and education.
Coaches team members on the chain of infection and the core principles of transmission of infectious pathogens.
Ensures proper segregation, packaging, labeling, and disposal of regulated medical, hazardous, and general waste in accordance with all applicable regulations and network policy.
Monitors correct selection, dilution, contact time, and safe handling of cleaning and disinfecting chemicals; verifies proper use of personal protective equipment.
Verifies compliance with cleaning standards in isolation and precaution rooms, including terminal cleaning requirements.
Other related duties as assigned.