IPM and Healthcare: Why it Works

If you’re in charge of maintaining a healthcare facility, you know how important pest prevention is. You’d be willing to try anything to keep your building – and the patients within – safe.  Luckily, you don’t have to try anything. Just one thing. That thing is integrated pest management.

Integrated pest management (or IPM) is the perfect pest control solution for healthcare facilities everywhere. It works for long-term care facilities, hospitals, urgent care centers, rehabilitation clinics, and more. To understand why IPM is perfect for your facility, you should know what it is and how it works. We happen to know a thing or two about that, so let us explain:
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First things first: what is integrated pest management?

IPM is a particular methodology for approaching pest control. The goal of integrated pest management is to remove existing infestations and prevent future ones simultaneously. IPM tends to make sparing use of pesticides because they’re not eco-friendly and rarely offer long term success.

Instead, IPM practitioners rely on in-depth knowledge of pests and the importance of effectively passing this knowledge on. By focusing on treating the reason why pests are infesting, IPM provides far more permanent solutions than other methods.
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Why is integrated pest management ideal for healthcare?

IPM is ideal for healthcare pest control for a number of reasons, such as:

It focuses on a chemical-free, targeted approach

Healthcare facilities have to adhere to very strict rules and regulations. Obviously, you have to be very careful about what you introduce into your facility. IPM doesn’t use big, sweeping techniques like spraying or fogging on entire facilities. Not only are techniques like that unhealthy, but they’re typically ineffective.

Instead, IPM focuses on finding and removing the sources of food, water, and shelter that pests seek out. IPM targets the reasons why pests want to enter your facility, instead of simply brute forcing them out.

IPM follows Healthcare environmental care standards

IPM follows environment of care standards set forth by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) by its very nature. The knowledge and evidence-based methods practitioners use to treat pest problems automatically live up to the JCAHO’s standards.

IPM helps permanently improve your facilities’ pest prevention

Many pest control programs offer relatively standard hygiene and pesticide application advice. Unfortunately, that advice isn’t usually applicable to healthcare facilities. For one thing, your facility is already clean, and you can’t just spray pesticide everywhere.

Luckily, IPM’s training and advice go well beyond the conventional standard. IPM practitioners will figure out how to protect your specific facility from pests. They’ll find ways to protect your perimeter and even train your staff to identify and prevent possible pest infestations.

It requires more expertise

Practicing IPM requires specialized knowledge and training. IPM practitioners use knowledge of biology, behavior patterns, reproductive habits, and more to control pest infestations. They use the latest technology, best practices, and analysis tools. If a company offers IPM services, it means they know their stuff.

If you’d like to learn more about integrated pest management, give us a call. Assured Environments has been proudly applying integrated pest management techniques for years now. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have regarding IPM for your healthcare facility.