HLAC’s Annual Inspector Training Highlights: Advancing Surgical Pack Room Excellence
In April, the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) held its Annual Inspector Training, bringing together inspectors from across the country for a focused, hands‑on learning experience. This year’s curriculum centered on one of the most critical areas in healthcare laundry operations: the Surgical Pack Room.
The training was organized by HLAC Board Member Cort Naab and Executive Director Krissy Thayer, who continue to lead efforts to strengthen consistency, collaboration, and quality across the HLAC inspection process.
Why the Surgical Pack Room Was the 2026 Focus
Surgical packs play a direct role in patient safety, sterile processing efficiency, and operating room readiness. Because of their importance, HLAC made a strategic decision to dedicate this year’s training to pack room operations. Cort Naab explained the decision clearly:
“Our decision to focus inspector training on the surgical pack room came down to two key factors. First, patient safety remains HLAC’s highest priority, and textiles processed in the pack room are destined for some of the most critical, high-risk environments within a hospital. Second, HLAC is the only healthcare laundry accreditation program with a dedicated surgical pack room standard, making it important that inspectors receive specialized training to conduct thorough and consistent evaluations.”
This emphasis aligns with HLAC’s mission to ensure that accredited laundries meet the highest standards for safety, quality, and patient safety.
Training Highlights and Industry Collaboration
This year’s program included a deep review of surgical pack assembly fundamentals, inspection checkpoints, and quality assurance practices. HLAC welcomed special guest Dave Fox of Standard Textile, who shared expert insights on reusable surgical textiles, pack room workflow optimization, and best practices for maintaining sterility and consistency.
“Surgical Pack Rooms (and the laundries who operate pack rooms) provide an essential resource for surgical operations in hospitals and surgery centers across North America. Clinicians and Physicians who have a choice between disposable products and locally processed reusable surgical textiles overwhelmingly choose reusable products. The laundries that provide these services set themselves apart from their competitors, they strengthen our PPE supply chain and provide a valuable service for their customers.
By focusing inspection efforts on surgical textile & pack rooms, HLAC continues to improve our industry by providing the support, resources and expertise to elevate the quality of healthcare laundries in both the US and Canada.” says Fox.
A special thank you goes to Hospital Cooperative Laundry of Denver, Colorado, which generously hosted the hands‑on portion of the training. Their surgical pack room and staff provided inspectors with real‑world exposure to pack assembly processes, workflow design, and quality control measures.
Key Learning Areas for Inspectors
Inspectors participated in both classroom and on‑site sessions covering:
- Surgical pack room workflow design
Clean/soiled separation, staging, and environmental controls. - Pack content accuracy and verification
Ensuring each pack meets procedure‑specific requirements and includes proper sterility indicators. - Documentation and quality assurance
Reviewing training records, corrective action processes, and pack room audit trails. - Consistency in inspection methodology
Reinforcing HLAC’s commitment to standardized, collaborative inspections across all accredited facilities.
Strengthening the HLAC Inspection Process
HLAC inspectors play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the accreditation program. Over the past several years, HLAC has prioritized collaboration, consistency, and continuous improvement within the inspection process. This year’s training reflects that commitment.
By equipping inspectors with deeper expertise in surgical pack room operations, HLAC ensures that accredited laundries receive evaluations that are thorough, fair, and aligned with the latest industry standards.
Looking Ahead
HLAC is proud of the dedication shown by its inspectors and grateful to the partners who made this year’s training possible. As healthcare facilities continue to rely on reusable surgical textiles, the importance of pack room excellence, and the inspectors who help uphold it, has never been greater.
HLAC looks forward to expanding training opportunities, strengthening industry partnerships, and continuing to elevate the standards that protect patients and support healthcare operations nationwide.