A system for monitoring cleaning and sanitization efforts of care givers using stethoscopes including one or more sanitizing and cleaning stations capable of cleaning and sanitizing a head portion of a stethoscope presented thereto. The system includes an identification apparatus operably associated with each of a plurality of stethoscopes. The identification apparatus serves to identify a particular stethoscope and, thus, a particular care provider. An apparatus for detecting each time a particular stethoscope is presented to a sanitizing and cleaning station for effecting a cleaning and sanitization event forms part of the system. An analysis unit is operably connected to each identification apparatus and detecting apparatus and is configured for calculating the cleanliness and sanitization level of each stethoscope as a function of the number of cleaning and sanitization events detected by the detecting apparatus. A method for monitoring cleaning and sanitization efforts of care providers is also disclosed.
