Untitled Document

The Standards Committee is currently reviewing the comments. No official date yet as to when the revised Standards will be released. Watch eNews for updates.

HLAC Completes Two Pilot Inspections in Canada

This summer HLAC conducted two pilot inspections in Canada as part of developing an official program launch. We are pleased to announce that both laundries passed and are fully accredited. No official Canada launch date has been set yet. Watch eNews for more updates.

HLAC thanks the Advisory Committee for its ongoing assistance on this important project.

The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council is an independent organization committed to supporting the highest industry standards in processing healthcare textiles.

View or download the Standards at www.hlacnet.org.

Dear Readers:

To date, 78 laundries have now achieved accreditation (see sidebar for the newly accredited). Continuing outreach, education and awareness within the healthcare industry about the importance of standards remain a key focus for HLAC. Read more about this important initiative and recently published articles below.

Sincerely,

Kathy Tinker

Executive Director

Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council

"Read All About It"

in Healthcare Publications

As the healthcare profession knows, ongoing training, benchmarking, certifications and more are utilized as methods to keep skills honed and stay abreast of the latest advances and information. HLAC standards and accreditation provide those same important benefits to the healthcare laundry.

Accreditation is becoming an important credential for a laundry, and serves as a way to communicate to the customer that a laundry understands the unique challenges of processing healthcare textiles. Below are recently published articles that are raising awareness in the healthcare profession about the benefits of laundry accreditation.

May: Outpatient Surgery, "Yes or No to Home Laundering?" A discussion of home laundering versus on-site or commercial processing. Accredited laundries are promoted as professionals that understand proper protocols in processing healthcare textiles. Click here to read.

August: Briefings on Hospital Safety, "Laundry Inspection Standards Offer You Best Practices" (www.hospitalsafetycenter). Briefings is a newsletter featured on a members-only website which requires a paid subscription to view the articles.

August 17, 2009: Modern Healthcare, "From the C-Suite: Know Your Scores." An editorial by Glenn Fosdick, CEO, Nebraska Medical Center. Mr. Fosdick talks about the importance of quality and standards from the medical center's perspective, as well as the importance for its outsource providers including the laundry. Nebraska Medical Center is served by Ameritex Service in Omaha, Nebraska. Modern Healthcare is a weekly publication read by high level healthcare executives and CEOs. (Watch for reprint info.)

August: Facility Care Magazine, "Ask the Experts." Authored by Sandra Hensley, RN, BSN, MSEM, CIC. Sandra discusses how the laundry can help reduce the risk of infection by addressing key factors in a healthcare laundry. Click here to read.

September: Infection Control Today, "Who's Watching the Laundry." An in-depth analysis written by HLAC Executive Director Kathy Tinker that discusses how HLAC Standards support the strategies of the infection control professional, proper textile processing protocols, employee safety, patient safety, and more. Click here to read.

Let your customers know they and their associates can learn more about HLAC accreditation by "reading all about it" in these healthcare publications.

HLAC To Present at
AORN 2010 Conference

HLAC is pleased to announce it has been selected as an educational presenter at the AORN 2010 Conference to be held March 13-18, 2010, Denver, Colorado. AORN is the Association for periOperative Registered Nurses.