A course that usually means flying to the East Coast is coming to Anchorage

A hospital cleaning certification course that normally requires a trip to the East Coast is coming to Anchorage in September, and it needs 20 people signed up by Sept. 4 to happen.

The session trains environmental services leaders to certify their own staff. Graduates earn the T-CHEST designation, which is required to lead the trainings and certify technicians, along with 24 continuing education credits.

It runs Sept. 14 through 16 at the BP Energy Center, 9 am to 5 pm each day. Registration is through the Association for the Health Care Environment.

The Alaska Department of Health said these courses are typically held on the East Coast, and called strong environmental services programs essential to preventing infections patients pick up in the hospital.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's Midnight Sun Chapter and the Alaska Hospital & Healthcare Association are co-hosting. The two also put on Alaska's infection prevention conference, set for Oct. 14 and 15.