Sparkle and Smile!
Environmental Services (EVS) teams take pride in providing clean and safe environments at Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital for patients, staff and visitors.
So who are the friendly and organized workers behind the mobile cleaning carts, buffer machines and services with a smile? We stopped by both hospitals recently to catch a glimpse into their daily routines and learn what they enjoy most about their jobs.
Meet Adrien, Expo and Mayre. Among the three of them, they have nearly 70 years of experience working for Cape Cod Healthcare.
Adrien Joseph: He Makes Floors Shine
Adrien Joseph
If you have walked the halls of Cape Cod Hospital, you have probably noticed the gleaming floors. The person responsible? Adrien Joseph, a project technician for Environmental Services. He is the one who rides those big machines to strip, wax and buff the floors to maintain the shine and make them look like glass.
“Adrien takes great pride in his work and can make any floor look great when he is done,” says Jeff Sullivan, Director of Environmental Services at Cape Cod Hospital. “He makes floors shine, pays attention to details and takes great pride in his results. You just have to show him the floor that needs work and he takes care of the rest!”
Before arriving at Cape Cod Healthcare, Adrien worked at a local auto body shop. A friend encouraged him to apply for a housekeeping position at Cape Cod Hospital, and a week later, he was offered the job. This month, Adrien is celebrating his 25th anniversary with CCHC. He proudly shares he has never called in sick in all of his years working here.
“Sometimes people say, ‘This is an Adrien job,’ and I love hearing that,” says the floor expert, who is originally from Haiti. “I love to do my job really, really well to make people happy. I always try to do my best.”
‘Expo’ Filho: Loves Friendly, Diverse Group of Coworkers
Expedito ‘Expo’ Filho
His name is Expedito Filho, but he is simply known as “Expo.”
As an Environmental Services Aide, Expo’s main priorities are cleaning discharged patient rooms in the Emergency Center at Cape Cod Hospital. But he also disinfects nurses’ stations, work areas and bathrooms.
Originally from Brazil, Expo previously worked at a nursing home in South Yarmouth. He arrived at Cape Cod Healthcare after a friend encouraged him to apply for a housekeeping job. He started on Jan. 2, 2001, at Cape Cod Hospital and has never looked back.
As he pushes his cleaning cart through the Emergency Center, Expo says he loves working with a friendly, diverse group of people and is grateful for his housekeeping job. “I love to make things shine,” says Expo, adding he enjoys the fast-paced environment of the ER.
This past year, Expo was missed by his coworkers when he had to take time off due to health-related issues. He worked hard to come back after a year of rehabilitation and returned to his daily work routine on May 1, 2023.
“He was so emotional with being able to come back to work at the hospital,” says supervisor Jeff Sullivan. “He was so excited that he came in the night before to make sure his cleaning cart was ready to go for his first day back.”
Mayre Lynch: A “Routine Woman”
Mayre Lynch
When Mayre Lynch arrives for her 7 a.m.–3 p.m. housekeeping shift at Falmouth Hospital, she strategizes on how best to complete her daily checklist of cleaning tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
Mayre (pronounced Mary), who will celebrate her 20th anniversary at Cape Cod Healthcare in January, thrives on routine and jokingly describes herself as a “routine woman.”
“I am organized,” says Mayre, who is originally from Brazil. “I clean everything outside of the rooms first—the hallways, nurses’ stations, bathrooms—then work my way down. I have a plan of action.”
Supervisor Shannon Cobb says she is one of the most efficient housekeepers. “She knows how to get her stuff done,” says Cobb. “She also teaches new hires how to be more efficient and improve their time management. Her name is mentioned frequently in the patient comments and feedback.”
Mayre’s main responsibilities include cleaning patient rooms, bathrooms, hallways, floors and concentrating on high-touch areas such as bed rails. Part of her routine also involves restocking supplies such as paper towels, toilet paper and hand soap. But her favorite parts of the job include interacting with patients and providing a clean environment for them.
“I like to see the patients happy, and I love talking with patients,” says Mayre, whose husband, Peter, works as a cook in the kitchen at Falmouth Hospital. “Today, I had one patient who saw me in the hallway and they gave me a big hug and showed me pictures of their grandchildren. That makes my day—to see people happy.”
