The Significance of Quality Medical Linen Services & Laundries that Provide Them
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Medical linen and health care laundries are a significant part of the nation’s hospital systems. These items are used on millions of patients and medical staff daily. They are used in bed sheets, lab coats, patient gowns, surgical towels, employee scrubs and more. Medical linen helps provide a healthy, sterile environment. Re-usable laundered items (vs. disposables) are also far more gentle on our environment by reducing waste; not to mention patients prefer them to rough paper against the skin. Linen is the only accepted material used for internal sutures and are fully used in operating rooms.
As per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 million Americans contract hospital-acquired infections every year; with more than 5% of those cases resulting in death. If proper laundry care is not given to the linens delivered, these items can present a chief source of infection for patients. A sufficient supply of clean, sanitary linen is essential for the well being, comfort, and swift recovery of patients.
Proper procedures should be followed at all times to ensure that linens in medical facilities are handled and cleaned properly to prevent the spread of microorganisms that cause can live in the fabric. Hospitals and other medical facilities should consider routine, strict laundry policies as standard practice. OSHA, HLAC and other organizations can provide good resources as to the specific systems to implement. The main purpose of this department is to provide clean material to the patients and ensure that hygienic conditions are maintained in the process. Medical administrators are constantly searching for different methods to decrease contamination and improve the cleanliness of the environment. While doing this they have to take into consideration various factors such as medical textile waste and affiliated sewer waste generated by facility, all while attempting to reduce their environmental footprint, and properly budgeting the operational costs.
Outside health care laundry services are often a wise choice, as these laundry services have devoted major resources and energy into equipment and the latest laundering technologies. These efforts ultimately save water, reduce energy, and improve chemical efficiency. Industry pioneers use environmentally-friendly chemicals and accurately manage inventory to maintain waste energy, water, and chemicals at the lowest temperatures. Rental medical laundry services almost always guarantee that the medical linen stock is more than sufficient. They also pay attention to ensure items are handled properly and not subject to significant abuse or loss.
The hospitals that run an on-site laundry service have to bear the brunt of heavy costs. As they have to directly deal with labor, water, energy, and merchandise. Good medical laundry services provide a good quality alternative to processing laundry within the hospital. They ensure the best possible patient care, a safe working environment for the hospital staff and a cost-effective managed textile program.
The choices healthcare administrators make regarding disposable products and medical textiles affect an organization’s bottom line. Using a quality healthcare laundry service is a best way to meet up financial, operational, and environmental goals. If you are considering an outside company or want quotes from other suppliers, Linen Finder can help. Let us know your exact needs and we will match you with up to 3 quality laundry services. Most of the companies handle customer owned linen as well as rentals. Medical Laundry Services“