Third national top-two finish in six years for Parkview's EVS teams
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Sept. 14, 2026 – Parkview Health Environmental Services (EVS) recently received the 2026 Certificate of Merit from the Association for the Health Care Environment (AHE), which recognizes the contributions of the environmental services department to quality, safety and patient experience.
Parkview received the Certificate of Merit, runner-up to the EVS Department of Year, in the 500+ bed category. Parkview was previously named the EVS Department of the Year by AHE in 2019 and was the Certificate of Merit recipient in 2022.
“Maintaining excellent upkeep of Parkview’s facilities is a contributing factor to the high-quality patient care being delivered,” said Donna Van Vlerah, senior vice president, support division, Parkview Health. “Our environmental service technicians are professionals. They receive numerous certifications and specialized training ranging from entry-level, operating rooms, floor care, hazardous waste handling and two advanced healthcare environmental service courses.”
AHE, a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association, serves more than 2,500 members with training, education and tools to improve environmental services across the healthcare industry. AHE helps members maintain clean facilities and efficiently and effectively support quality, safety and patient service.
AHE’s Environmental Services Department of the Year Award provides national recognition annually for the significant contributions made by an environmental services department to the overall patient experience and highlights the outstanding achievements in maintaining high levels of performance in cleaning, disinfecting, infection prevention, environmental sustainability and stewardship, technology use, patient satisfaction, education, and training in critical areas.
Parkview’s facilities cover nearly 3.9 million square feet of space patrolled by more than 350 EVS co-workers tasked with daily maintenance. Parkview EVS continually implements new technology, adopts best practices and furthers co-worker education to provide the best services to facilities.
Examples of new initiatives and equipment adoption within the last year include Parkview Hospital Randallia ranking No. 1 in the nation for use of Tru-D Smart ultraviolet light disinfecting equipment; addition of new mop machines, floor scrubbers, carpet cleaners and vacuums across the system; and ongoing education with nearly 500 training sessions conducted at the EVS Training Center, including its 200th new hire orientation class.
These programs have enabled Parkview to improve patient throughput across the system, with improved communication and processes allowing the EVS team to typically turn over an inpatient room in less than 60 minutes after discharge. EVS linen reduction and reuse programs also generated nearly $3 million in savings in 2025.
Parkview has frequently been recognized for its excellent patient experience, quality and safety. In 2026, Parkview had five hospitals – Parkview DeKalb, Parkview Huntington, Parkview LaGrange, Parkview Wabash and Parkview Whitley hospitals – that earned 5-star ratings for cleanliness via the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with only 15 in Indiana receiving that distinction. Parkview also recently received the Excellence in Patient Experience award from NRC Health and is consistently the state’s top performer in the twice-annual Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades.
“Hospital cleanliness is a component of patient safety,” said Dr. Jeffrey Boord. “Effective disinfection reduces transmission of pathogens, which helps reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections, which can create serious complications for patients battling another illness, recovering from trauma or mending from a recent surgery. The around-the-clock support delivered by our EVS teams sets the stage for the great care delivered by our doctors, nurses and providers.”
For a listing of available facilities jobs at Parkview, including EVS positions, visit https://parkviewcareers.hctsportals.com/search/support-services/jobs.
