A shortage of specialized medical cleaning staff has led to unsanitary conditions at the Dallas-based VA North Texas Health Care System , which poses a risk to patient safety, Greg Ellis, a manager for the hospital, told Fox 4.
On some weekends the cleaning team is staffed at half the 35 workers that are supposed to work the shift, Mr. Ellis said.
"Biohazard waste is piling up, suites are not cleaned or suites are not cleaned or manned by employees on the weekend," Mr. Ellis said, according to Fox 4.
Staffing shortages used to be resolved by overtime work, but the hospital recently stopped offering overtime to cleaning staff. The hospital's chief of staff, Jeff Hastings, MD, said the hospital's supervisor for environmental management thought overtime dollars could be better spent.
"She made an excellent argument to say, 'Here's how much money you're spending in overtime, why don't we hire more people instead?'" Dr. Hastings told Fox 4.
The hospital offered environmental medical service jobs to 35 people and was not aware that staffing shortages had led to any medical risks, Dr. Hastings said.