The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

September 10-16 is Environmental Services Week. While Environmental Services (EVS) may sound like a part of the EPA, it is blanket term used to include a facilities housekeepers, maintenance, and laundry departments. EVS is the unsung hero of any building, but especially important in a hospital setting.

EVS at Big Sandy Medical Center is responsible for cleaning and surface disinfection, waste management, laundry, pest control, safety and security, maintaining the flooring and fixtures, grounds management, including mowing the lawn and snow/ice removal, and infection prevention. Each item listed is vital to a clean, healthy, and safe environment for the patients, employees, and visitors alike.

Chris O’Dell took over as the Facility Manager last spring; EVS is his domain at Big Sandy Medical Center. His staff includes Leroy Richardson, Jeff Richter, and newly hired, Wyatt Phillips in Maintenance and Housekeeping. These four gentleman do a great job working to make sure the building is not just clean, but also in good working order. With the kitchen addition, problems with the HVAC system, issues with the fire suppression system, the commercial washer needing repair, and the other daily necessities in the building Chris and his team have certainly had their hands full.

Manning the laundry for us is Nadine Poitra, and newly hired Weslie Taylor. Laundry is never ending; these gals have their work cut out for them. They are charged with washing, drying, folding, mending, and stain removing, for the ~20 people who reside in the building, the linen from the ER, Clinic, and Wellness Center, and the cleaning rags and mop pads from the kitchen and housekeeping. The facility has one regular washer that has a 13 pound capacity, and the commercial washer can do up to 33 pounds at a time. To put this into perspective, in June of 2022, 4,415 pounds of laundry was washed. That is at the very least, 134 loads of laundry in one month!

Here’s what Chris has to say about his team, “The Environmental Services Staff at the Big Sandy Medical Center are an integral part of the machine that keeps the Medical Center running. Their hard work and dedication to the Medical Center, helps to keep everyone safe from potential illnesses, through their cleaning and sanitizing practices. Quick to help and attend to the hospital’s needs after hours, they also come to work in a moment’s notice whenever the need arises. This often requires a sacrifice of their personal time and time with family and friends. For this and all the things you do for the Medical Center, I thank you. Your hard work is noticed and appreciated.”

These folks sure don’t get the recognition they deserve and one week of celebration is not enough. The next time you see Chris, LJ, Jeff, Wyatt, Nadine or Weslie out and about be sure to commend them for a job well done. When you notice, or rather don’t notice, the dirt on the floor, or stains in someone’s clothes, tip your hat to the folks responsible for keeping it that way.