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It's OK To Ask

Hand Hygiene – It’s everyone’s responsibility.

Practicing good hand hygiene is the single most important thing we can do to stop the spread of infection. It’s a healthy habit for anyone, whether you are in the hospital, at work, or at home.

Here are a few reasons why hand hygiene is so important to your care: Germs are everywhere. Sick people get infections easier. Infections can keep patients in the hospital longer. Even healthy people can spread germs. Good hand hygiene is a healthy habit.

Handwashing at Enloe

At Enloe, we require that all caregivers wash their hands with soap and water or a waterless alcohol-based hand rub, before treating each patient. This simple act is extremely effective at reducing the number of germs present on the skin.

What you can do

It’s OK to Ask: As a patient, be an active participant in helping your Enloe health care team prevent the spread of infection. In fact, hand washing should done by everyone – even visitors. It only takes a few simple words to help encourage this healthy habit: “Excuse me, did you clean your hands?” or “I saw that you cleaned your hands – thank you!”

For more information, contact Enloe Public Relations at 530.332.6745. To report any issues about your care, or to relay a compliment, contact Patient Relations at 530.332.7005. For more information, visit our Quality & Safety web page.