In health care, some of the most critical risks to patient safety are the ones we don’t always see. Environmental Services (EVS) teams play a crucial role in ensuring a safe, hygienic environment in hospitals and other health care facilities—but many of the challenges they face remain underappreciated. That’s why The Leapfrog Group’s Partners Advisory Committee has launched the EVS Workgroup LinkedIn page, Hiding in Plain Sight: Steps to a Safer Indoor Environment. This is a dedicated space to elevate research-driven discussions about environmental risks, innovative solutions and best practices in health care EVS. The first topic of the forum is waterborne pathogens.
The Hidden Risks of Waterborne Pathogens
Water is essential to hospital operations, touching nearly every aspect of patient care. Yet, within hospital plumbing, medical devices and even ice machines, waterborne pathogens lurk beneath the surface, posing a serious risk to patient safety. Diseases caused by these pathogens account for 118,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States, placing a heavy burden on both patients and hospitals.
Common culprits like Legionella and Pseudomonas thrive in hospital water systems, leading to costly infections and outbreaks that are difficult to trace and even harder to eliminate.
Despite these risks, waterborne pathogens often receive less attention than other healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The complexity of modern plumbing systems, combined with the hidden nature of biofilm buildup, makes prevention a challenge. That’s where a culture of awareness and proactive prevention becomes critical.
Prevention Starts with Awareness and Collaboration
The first step in preventing waterborne infections is recognizing the risks they pose. Hospitals must adopt comprehensive water management strategies, including regular risk assessments, proactive maintenance and staff education. Resources like the CDC’s Water Infection Control Risk Assessment (WICRA) model, as well as guidelines from The Joint Commission and others can help facilities implement better protocols.
However, preventing environmental risks isn’t just about policies—it’s about fostering collaboration across Environmental Services, clinical staff, infection prevention teams and hospital leadership. Everyone plays a role in maintaining a safe health care environment, and open dialogue is key to driving improvements.
Join the Conversation on LinkedIn
Hiding in Plain Sight was created to bring these critical issues to the forefront. This space is dedicated to sharing research-driven insights, fostering discussion and raising awareness about the evolving challenges in health care environmental services. You can download the full resource here.
As a forum driven by a workgroup within Leapfrog’s Partners Advisory Committee, the page will highlight issues that often go unnoticed—like the risks of waterborne pathogens—and provide a platform for professionals to exchange ideas and solutions.
This LinkedIn forum is driven solely by a workgroup within Leapfrog’s Partners Advisory Committee and is sponsored by The Leapfrog Group. The Leapfrog Group does not endorse the products, services and/or opinions discussed in this forum; we encourage you to explore these discussions and participate openly, with a focus on the topics and domains discussed herein.