Environment of Care Rounding team comes together for annual training, appreciation event

For the ninth year, Environmental Health and Safety and Licensure and Accreditation leadership held a dual training and appreciation event for the Environment of Care Rounding team.

At UC Davis Health, the Environment of Care Rounding team maintains compliance and readiness for The Joint Commission. The group completes comprehensive inspections of different departments each week – at every UC Davis Health medical facility, including remote locations - throughout the year, looking for anything in the medical environment that requires a correction.

This year, the team had over 3,700 findings in 250 inspections. Identifying these findings during rounds helps drive continuous improvement, cultivate a culture of compliance and helps UC Davis Health achieve high marks from our patients and regulators.

“They keep us prepared for accreditation visits such as those by The Joint Commission, who will be surveying UC Davis Health in 2025. The checklist has about 100 items, related to categories such as Life Safety, Medication Management, Infection Prevention, and Environment of Care,” said Becky Grunewald, associate director of Environmental Health and Safety.

"The environmental rounds team strives to create a positive atmosphere around their audits," said Kaila Benton-Vitz, director of Environmental Health and Safety. "I am always encouraged by the number of departments who welcome the expertise of this team and partner to find solutions. The result is a better environment for our patients and for our staff."

The team had a celebratory luncheon Dec. 9 and discussed ideas for improving and focus in training in 2025.

The members of the Rounding team include:

• Thomas Ocheltree, Environmental Health & Safety (team leader) •
• Alana Martin, Emergency Management
• Colin McGlynn and others rotating for Infection Prevention
• Olga Gonzalez Moreno, Plant Operations and Maintenance
• Corey Nommensen, Plant Operations and Maintenance
• Alex Pelaez, Fire Marshal’s Office
• Mija Ryer, Licensure and Accreditation
• Kaylee Efstathiu, Facilities Planning and Design

Leadership, including Jita Buno and Kimber Ramos, recognized each member individually, presenting certificates for their dedication and hard work toward keeping UC Davis Health compliant.