A cancer patient at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainsville, Fla., said she and her family found mold in the bathroom of her room in the hospital on the north campus, according to an article on the WUFT website.
According to the hospital, a small amount of superficial mold was found in a few other bathrooms, also. The mold in the first patient was mitigated and the room thoroughly cleaned. Teams were addressing the other units. No other mold was found in the hospital.
UF Health Shands said it follows industry standard protocols for mold detection and mitigation recommended by its infection control and environmental health and safety experts. They are based upon the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency’s document on mold remediation in schools and commercial buildings.
The hospital's statement included the following:
"We follow industry standard protocols for cleaning patient rooms and other clinical areas. The rooms are cleaned daily using CDC-recommended high touch points, including bed rails, the over-bed table, remote controls, the telephone, toilet handrails and door handles. These surfaces and others are sanitized daily using hospital-grade cleansers and disinfectants. The rooms are also cleaned thoroughly and inspected after a patient has been discharged from the hospital before the room is used again. In addition, we have multidisciplinary teams that inspect rooms at multiple points throughout the year."