HLAC Sounds Call to Action for Healthcare Laundry Accreditation
With a call to make sure your laundry is accredited, the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) made a strong case for how healthcare professionals can prevent contamination of their textiles. The call to action was made during remarks at EXCHANGE 2014, the Association for the Healthcare Environment annual educational event held recently in Tampa, Fla.
"Our job is to ensure that every piece of linen that touches a patient is free from contamination," says Gregory Gicewicz, president of HLAC, which inspects and accredits healthcare laundries. "HLAC is the only accrediting body whose sole purpose is to inspect and accredit laundries that process healthcare textiles. Hospitals, nursing homes and healthcare facilities should demand from their laundries the highest standards in the processing of their textiles - standards that cover the complete textile processing cycle, from handling and transporting, to laundering and finishing, and customer service. Make sure you're accredited - or at least in the process of becoming accredited."
Gicewicz made his comments during an EXCHANGE presentation, "Preventing Contamination of Healthcare Textiles," to Environmental Services professionals. He shared the stage with Lynne M. Sehulster, PhD, M(ASCP), an infectious diseases health scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who spoke on factors that can impact cleanliness.
In his remarks, Gicewicz tracked "a day in the life of a hospital towel," from the time the towel is used at a hospital, transported to a healthcare laundry for processing, and returned to the hospital for use with a patient. "This is a long, elaborate process where there exist numerous possibilities for linen contamination," he says. "Following HLAC Standards ensures that many of these risks are minimized. It's only through HLAC accreditation that you can ensure that the most rigorous laundry standards for patient safety and infection are followed."
Source: Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC)
Infection Intel: Revolutionizing Ultrasound Probe Disinfection With Germitec's Chronos
November 19th 2024Learn how Germitec’s Chronos uses patented UV-C technology for high-level disinfection of ultrasound probes in 90 seconds, enhancing infection control, patient safety, and environmental sustainability.
Clean Hospitals Corner With Alexandra Peters, PhD: The Issues Around Outsourcing
November 7th 2024Outsourcing environmental hygiene in health care facilities offers cost benefits but often compromises quality. Effective oversight, training, and standards are essential for ensuring patient safety.
Strengthening Defenses: Integrating Infection Control With Antimicrobial Stewardship
October 11th 2024Use this handout to explain the basics of why infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship are essential and how the 2 fields must have a unified approach to patient and staff safety
