January 28, 2009

Crothall First in Healthcare to Achieve CIMS Certification

Crothall Services Group becomes first company dedicated exclusively to healthcare support services to receive certification from ISSA.

Crothall Services Group, of Wayne, PA, announced the completion of requirements for the Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) certification program on January 26, 2009, making it the first company dedicated exclusively to healthcare support services to receive certification from ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association (web site). In addition, ISSA also granted Crothall certification with honors.

CIMS is a rigorous program that sets a new “standard” of excellence for building service contractors. Implementation of the Standard’s signature framework, which is built around five universally accepted quality principles, establishes Crothall Services Group as a high-performance, customer-focused cleaning organization. Facility management and purchasing professionals regard CIMS certification as a key differentiation tool, using the program to identify those organizations that have proven to be true companies of excellence and that stand alone among the premier organizations in the industry.

"We knew that qualifying for CIMS certification would establish us as the premier environmental services provider in healthcare," said Rich Feczko, National Director of Standardization and Systems. “That’s why Crothall pursued CIMS, to ensure we maintain consistently high standards of quality.”

To become certified, an organization must demonstrate its compliance with the requirements described in the five sections of management best practices that make up the Standard. An independent, accredited assessor conducts an on-site review of the applicant's systems, processes, and documentation to ensure compliance. The organization has to meet 100 percent of the mandatory elements and 60 percent of the recommended elements per section to achieve certification.

"We are thrilled to be the first healthcare support services company to receive CIMS certification,” said Crothall CEO Bobby Kutteh. “It is a testament to the excellence and drive of our people that Crothall has been placed among this select group of quality housekeeping organizations. I am proud to know we have met the demanding requirements of ISSA and earned honors distinction.”