University Hospital Zurich (USZ) has awarded ISS the contract for a portion of the facility management services at the new outpatient health center at Zurich Airport. Since the center opened in October 2020, ISS has been providing cleaning, technical building management, and caretaker services. The service package also includes a helpdesk with a ticketing system and an on-call service.
Complex Infrastructure: Spanning Eight Floors
Zurich Airport is one of Switzerland’s most important transportation hubs. Just a short walk from the airport’s main building, the University Hospital of Zurich opened an outpatient health center a few months ago. Nestled within the state-of-the-art architecture of the new business center THE CIRCLE, 40 clinics and institutes of the USZ offer a comprehensive range of outpatient treatments, ranging from dermatological procedures to dialysis, endoscopies, chemotherapy, and outpatient surgeries. Around 1,000 patients take advantage of these medical services every day.
110 examination rooms with varying equipment are available across an area of 11,000 square meters on eight floors. These include rooms with state-of-the-art medical technology, such as a linear accelerator for tumor radiation therapy in radiation oncology or equipment for dialysis treatments. For facility management, the wide diversity of medical specialties and infrastructure poses significant challenges in meeting the individual standards for services and hygiene.
Brought In Early:Ensuring Strict Standards
The complex infrastructure, as well as the sheer size of the new building, were the biggest challenges for Barbara Duppenthaler, ISS Healthcare Project Manager, during implementation. “It paid off that ISS was brought on board by the client early on,” she notes. “The discussions with the clinic’s departments were very helpful. This allowed us to tailor the staffing schedule for the 20 employees, the processes, and the cleaning supplies to the facility’s needs. In addition, we continuously removed construction dust even during the construction phase to prevent it from settling in sensitive areas,” she adds.
The most crucial aspect, however, is training the staff in accordance with ISS Healthcare standards. They learn how to work with protective equipment in sensitive areas, such as the operating room, and that metal badges, keys, and tools are not permitted in rooms with sensitive medical equipment, as magnetic fields would interfere with the operation of the devices. That is why ISS employees received close guidance during the initial phase.
In addition to cleaning, ISS is also responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the building’s technical systems. The specialists ensure that the power supply functions flawlessly and that the building’s technical equipment runs without interruption. During the day, a building superintendent is also on site to immediately address any issues that may arise on short notice.
monitoring@iss:Quality Documentedin Real Time
To maintain a clear overview in such a diverse and extensive work environment, ISS uses the digital solution monitoring@iss for quality control. After completing each task or conducting an inspection round, employees enter the required information directly into a tablet. For Sandra Weber, ISS Facility Manager at USZ Airport, this offers enormous advantages: “The data is available to both me and the client in real time via a web portal. This allows both parties to verify at any time whether the services were performed correctly and whether hygiene standards are being met.”