Kevin Van Paasen | For The Globe and Mail


The Globe and Mail, a national newspaper in Canada, has been running a fascinating series called "The Hospital." The series of stories is an in depth look at Sunnybrook hospital, including how healthcare facility employees are working together to prevent Hospital Acquired Infections, facility cleaning, and other topics.

Here's an excerpt from "How Hospitals Are On The Front Line of Germ Warfare," written by Carly Weeks:

"Leontina Da Costa and Millicent Linton pick up the lightweight hospital mattress in a room on the orthopedic and neurosurgical unit at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and scrub it with vigour normally reserved for the removal of red wine from white upholstery. The swishing sound of their microfibre cloths repeatedly assaulting the green waterproof cover provides a hypnotic soundtrack to their work."

In an accompanying slideshow, Globe photographer Kevin Van Paasen documents the routines of the hospital's Environmental Service workers — those responsible for cleaning and disinfecting hospital rooms after a patient is discharged.

You can view the gallery, here.