When a hospital or facility experiences water damage, smoke residue, or another unexpected mess, it can be stressful for the people working there. These situations need quick support so teams can get back to serving patients, residents, and guests safely. Over the past few years, HHS has begun seeing these calls more often.
Instead of treating each situation as a one-time fix, HHS decided to create a more organized way to help. That idea grew into Environmental Response Solutions, a service that supports cleanup and environmental challenges across our operations.
A lot of the groundwork came from Jourdan Hartshorn, Director of Environmental Response Solutions, who has been stepping into these situations long before the service had a name.
Jourdan didn’t start with formal training—he started by helping wherever he was needed. “I’ve always just done it and didn’t realize the science behind it,” he said. As he learned more, he became interested in the “why” behind the work. “It’s pretty cool… the story behind it, why we’re doing it.”
As the requests for help increased, Jourdan started seeing a pattern. “We would get called in at different places to help,” he said. “And I was like, there’s something here.”
Because Jourdan had been doing this work firsthand, he understood what teams needed most. He helped shape Environmental Response Solutions into something clear and dependable—step-by-step guidance, training, and simple processes that anyone on the team can follow.
HHS Environmental Response Solutions on-site, helping restore operations after a fire through floor restoration, terminal cleaning, and critical facility support.
Some projects are straightforward, and others are more involved. “We’ll be cleaning air ducts… all that nasty dust that’s been there for 30 years,” Jourdan said. Whether it’s a small cleanup or a larger issue, the goal is always the same: help facilities stay safe and keep day-to-day operations moving.
As Environmental Response Solutions grows, it’s also creating new opportunities for HHS team members.
“My team’s going to be certified… If there’s a disaster and they need to fill in a role, they can fill that role,” Jourdan explained. Certifications cover things like water damage restoration and fire-and-smoke cleanup. These skills open new job paths that many employees may not have considered before.
Jourdan is taking the same classes himself. “Right now, I’m doing the water damage restoration technician class… and next month I’m taking the fire and smoke damage technician class.”
For him, learning the “why” behind the work makes all the difference. “It gives people a different perspective,” he said. “It shows them what they’re capable of.”
Jourdan is quick to say that none of this was assumed. “They didn’t have to choose me. I pitched the idea,” he said. His willingness to bring up the gap he saw—and his readiness to take responsibility for it—helped shape a service that now supports teams across HHS.
He’s also enjoyed the variety it brings. “I like moving around. This gives me the opportunity to travel,” he said.
Environmental Response Solutions reflects something simple but important about HHS: when someone sees a need and is willing to help, they’re given space to build something meaningful. Jourdan’s work shows how listening to our teams and trusting their experience leads to better support for partners and stronger opportunities for our employees.