Content about Healthcare

CHICAGO — Having received numerous requests for newly revised information on this subject, I have reviewed the volumes of information obtained from both healthcare and hospitality laundry operations worldwide for 2010-2011.

I did my best to convert foreign cost to U.S. cost—both were changing rapidly as of December 2011—and discovered that our foreign counterparts were, in most segments, slightly more cost-efficient and, due to exchange rates, getting more production for the money simply due to the value of certain currencies, lower fringe benefit cost and higher degrees of automation. (I am pleased to report that this gap is closing rapidly.)

There could be numerous explanations, of course, but the primary reason was the vast difference in labor and fringe benefit cost in our country vis-à-vis other foreign locations, primarily those in Europe, Russia and the Far East.

The basis for this analysis was to determine benchmark alignments once various currencies were adjusted to match the U.S. dollar. Both higher and lower extremes in costing for each element were evaluated for accuracy. A group of independent accounting specialists who volunteered its time was utilized to draw the various conclusions reached in the report. Foreign laundry experts assisted in the translation of some information.

Throughout the process of validating accuracy of the data provided and drawing comparisons, the identity of each facility remained confidential. Each facility was simply referred to as a number or letter, depending on the type of operation: healthcare or hospitality. For those with a combination of tasks, every effort was made to categorize each element.

Every facility that supplied information has done so every year since this periodic review began.

2011 FORECAST ON TARGET?

As consultants and various levels of internal management continue to overly complicate laundry operational cost scenarios, as well as depicting systems that may not prove cost-effective, it is apparent that laundry and facility managers, as well as top executives with a renewed interest, require a cost benchmarking rule of thumb that will assist them in selling their operations, i.e. justifying new systems or a new facility, obtaining new customers and, probably most important, comparing variable cost that should influence decisions to continue in-house operations or examine outsourced management, operations, linen rental, transportation, etc.

I remain amazed that folks who seem to be knowledgeable simply complicate data in such a form that it becomes extremely difficult if not impossible to interpret. The same situation applies when reviewing opportunities to automate and modernize operations. It is apparent in some cases that new operations with new systems are not as cost-effective as planned, mostly due to a misunderstanding of previous cost and the industry’s promises to improve on the status quo.

Institutions, general contractors and A/E’s that hire consultants to review laundry facility operations should also continue to rely on internal expertise and experience, I believe. The institutions should also ensure that the consultants and experts selected are experienced in reviewing all applicable operational elements. A consultant with expertise in energy management, for example, may not be qualified to review laundry production or linen distribution.

It is quite apparent that large laundry and linen-rental consortiums that deal specifically with healthcare markets are becoming more competitive. As business tends to escalate, and based on recent information, cost seems to be leveling out to some degree, with the exception of the impact of high cotton cost and, most recently, fuel cost.

My previous forecast that total cost of operations may reach $1.10 per pound processed/delivered by 2013 seems right on target. The rising cost of healthcare insurance benefits enacted as a result of healthcare reform could dramatically increase the cost of operations and associated product and equipment purchases in 2014.

A review of approximately 473 healthcare and hospitality laundry facilities located in the United States and 23 foreign countries with operations that process a combined 276 million pounds annually with varying degrees of efficiency reveal the following benchmark costs (in U.S. dollars) that should be deemed most efficient on the average, even though most every facility demonstrated opportunities to reduce cost, especially in labor-sensitive areas.

Most important to note in this analysis were the plans to reduce labor and utilities cost related to washing, drying, conveyance, and flatwork feeding and finishing. These facilities also reported that major efforts were under way to reduce textile-replacement cost through standardization efforts and by examining best value over lowest cost for an item. It’s unfortunate that the federal government seems to continue to focus on lowest cost rather than the impact of overall cost.

Other major components under review seem to drive at lowering chemical cost by conducting actual comparisons and focusing on the customer service element that is so critical to this facet of the operation.

The variables between healthcare and hospitality cost were certainly interesting. Hospitality was higher on the average, which was expected, with the average variance being between 6 and 7 cents per pound processed. This was mostly attributed to the higher quality/cost of textiles acquired, which is significant.

PRODUCTION COST BENCHMARKS

Processing Cost: Direct labor costs, including fringe benefits (health insurance, retirement, etc.), which are applicable to the receipt, sorting, washing, drying, ironing, conveying and preparing of textiles for delivery within a laundry processing facility. — 18-23 cents per pound processed

Administrative Cost: Covers personnel in laundry and textile product management, secretarial, contracting administration, general foreman and nonproduction employees/housekeeping (includes fringe benefit costs, such as union dues, health insurance, etc.). On average, fringe benefit costs were running at 24-32% of actual salary cost (in other words, add that percentage to base salary cost). — 3-5 cents per pound processed and delivered

Maintenance and Repair Cost: Labor cost and materials associated with routine maintenance of applicable systems, including processing and ancillary support equipment, carts, etc. — 7-11 cents per pound processed and delivered

Equipment Depreciation: Divide equipment value by 15 years. — 4-6 cents per pound processed

Depreciation of Property and Applicable Property Taxes: Divide aggregate cost of land and building plus annual taxes by 75 years. — 3-5 cents per pound processed and delivered

General Supply Cost: Includes leasing of office equipment, office supplies, covers, pads, hangers, thread, wax, patches, buttons, etc. — 2-4 cents per pound processed

Chemical Supply Cost: Laundry chemicals, water treatment, etc. — 3-5 cents per pound processed

Utility Cost: Electrical, steam, gas, water, oil, sewer, refuse removal, and solar. — 8-10 cents per pound processed

SUBTOTAL: For a most efficient operation, Production Cost should be 48-69 cents per pound processed.

TEXTILE DISTRIBUTION AND REPLACEMENT COST BENCHMARKS

Textile Distribution and Return Cost: Includes drivers, fees, tolls, leasing, fuel, vehicle maintenance/repair, linen room distribution (from cart assembly to end-user locations) labor and benefits, seamstress/repair/marking, uniform distribution, cart depreciation and replacement, and transportation to external customers. — 13-15 cents per pound processed (within this component, fuel cost was 4-5 cents per pound processed)

Textile Cost: Surgical, uniforms, general textiles, drapes and other textiles based on a seven-par maintenance value for healthcare or hospitality. — 17-21 cents per pound processed

SUBTOTAL: Textile Distribution and Replacement Costs should be 30-36 cents per pound processed and delivered.

TOTAL OPERATIONAL BENCHMARKS

The overall operational cost benchmark ranged in 2010-2011 from 78 cents to $1.05 per pound processed and delivered.

While the overall variance in cost ranges is certainly widespread, a manager must carefully and accurately calculate all costs associated with the actual operation—all are different.

A major failing on management’s part is the inability to calculate fringe-benefit cost and include it as part of the outcome. Calculating production cost while forgetting other costs simply raises additional questions. All costs depicted in this benchmark exercise are considered equally important; one without another would have painted an inaccurate picture.

If, for some reason, you think your costs are lower than the benchmark’s lowest range, I encourage you to re-examine and recalculate your numbers. More importantly, make sure you have included all costs so they parallel those listed in this report.

EXPECT COST INCREASES IN TEXTILE REPLACEMENT, TRANSPORTATION

As mentioned in my previous analysis, textile replacement cost and transportation cost for 2010-2011 did reflect marginal increases.

Healthcare Laundry: Judy Murphy, RN, BSN, CLLM, RLLD, North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo, Miss.

In a healthcare setting, the challenge of taking a physical inventory can be overwhelming. One must enlist the help of clinical staff and/or the customer to count linen, especially in surgery, critical care, and isolation or restricted areas. Developing a relationship with that end-user and working together to stress the importance of linen in the care of their patients increases the likelihood of success and provides an avenue for honest feedback that can be used for performance improvement.

Timing of the inventory process is critical. One must work with those involved to determine the date, time, etc. Asking overwhelmed employees to add more work to their already busy schedules can set the project up for failure. Working together will allow the team to forecast any “snags” or concerns and to make plans to address them. The manager will also have their buy-in up front.

Linen is somewhat a “moving” target. The process of supplying linen to our customers has several ongoing steps that are difficult to halt while the inventory count is being done. To complicate this further, linen is kept in multiple areas throughout the customer’s facility/unit, so establishing a starting and ending point can be a challenge. Recognizing and addressing any challenges up front will contribute significantly to the success of the inventory process.

In a market with decreasing reimbursements, increased production/process issues, dwindling capital funding, etc., maintaining an adequate budget for linens can pose a problem. History has shown that we continue to “expect to do more with less.”

The laundry manager faces an uphill battle in justifying the need for an adequate linen purchase/replacement budget. It is imperative that he/she has accurate data to forecast needs, and that planning is in place to address any increases or decreases in customer demands. This effort will assist the manager in decreasing the frequency of rush/panic orders and resulting increased delivery costs, thereby resulting in an overall savings opportunity.

The manager must seek every opportunity to keep costs at a minimum while maintaining an adequate number of linen par (turns) so that ample supply is available for the customer’s demands.

Too little linen results in shortages to customers (may result in hoarding), increased linen processing, decreased linen life, decreased customer satisfaction, increased stress on laundry personnel (must “hurry through” the processing steps), inefficient use of equipment and staff time, increased chemical costs, etc.

Too much linen can result in a decreased return on investment, storage issues, linen degradation, as well as possible contamination with lint, dust, or insect infestation.

Software that provides the manager with an actual daily/weekly/monthly/annual usage figure can be used to identify overages and shortages, which can be addressed with appropriate par-level adjustments. These figures should be reviewed with the customer and any changes determined together so that they won’t come as a surprise to anyone.

Though zero loss would be ideal, it is unrealistic. Even if proper processes are in place, and the security and utilization of linen is appropriate, the laundry manager must still take into consideration other variables, including type of operation (healthcare, hospitality, correctional), region of the country/world you’re serving, type of chemistry used, etc. In addition, each linen item will have a different loss rate.

There are benchmarks available that can be used for comparison. I recommend the manager check with his or her linen supplier, in that these vendors are excellent resources of information. One such source states that benchmarks can range from an overall linen replacement average of 78% (this would be considered “best practice”) to 113%.

This “stretch” goal is achievable. The manager must concentrate on driving consistent, accurate, and focused efforts to purchase, process, and inventory linen utilizing a team approach that involves those who have a vested interest.

Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing: Scott Delin, Superior Uniform Group, Seminole, Fla.

When it comes to inventory control and securing textiles in today’s business environment, suppliers and laundries walk a fine line on a daily basis. As market conditions continue to change and become more competitive, it is important to maintain strong partnerships and solid communication with offshore manufacturing partners.

Sourcing, delivery times, and inventory control are impacted by power outages in plants, cotton shortages, rise in freight costs, and other unknown variables. In order to deal with many unknowns that can and will have a direct impact upon our ability to meet our customers’ demands, the implementation of “programs” has become an excellent way to efficiently and cost-effectively mitigate these challenges.

With a formal program, production can be forecast in a smarter way and supports the just-in-time inventory control principle.

Because of today’s competitive market environment, it is essential that inventory be available when our customers need it. When our inventory cannot fulfill our customers’ needs, we “open the door” and create opportunities for our competition.

Customer loyalty can no longer be taken for granted. Customers want to deal with suppliers and laundries that have product when they need it so they can service their clients or end-users as needed.

Not having adequate inventory can be detrimental to long-term business relationships and have a direct impact on the growth of your business. Insufficient inventory can damage a customer’s faith in his or her vendor and supplier to deliver goods when needed.

Equipment/Supply Distribution: Bill Bell, Steiner-Atlantic Corp., Miami, Fla.

Par: This word has many uses in the English language. For part-time golfers like me, this is a number we strive for. In the real world, it is used to establish inventory management and safety levels.

For many hotel operators, a par level of 3 has been a minimum and 4 has been a plus. In today’s economy, every extra dollar is being put to use in all aspects of operations. Just-in-time inventory has become more of a normal procedure than stocked inventory. Linen replacement averages 5-6% annually.

Under the just-in-time philosophy, OPLs must monitor inventory on a monthly or quarterly basis. Processes and procedures must be implemented to keep this percentage as low as possible. It is suggested that each station have a linen processing area with containers for each classification for linen type (mixed linen, torn linen and stained linen). Training all associates in the classification separation to be collected is important to the laundry’s success.

Working with your chemical provider to set up an aggressive, comprehensive stain formula in treating stained linen can help reduce or at least keep your linen replacement levels at 5-6%. A reclamation program to monitor and track discarded linen items will help with getting your correct items for inventory.

Benchmarking with other laundries—sharing problems or success stories—is a great idea. Different locations may face different challenges. For example, a laundry in Orlando, Fla., has to deal with suntan lotion stains, while a laundry in Boise, Idaho, may not have this problem.

Linen “misconduct” is another inventory issue. Washcloths, pool towels, robes, hospital blankets, and patient gowns tend to leave with the guest or patient. Educating nurses, housekeeping employees, patients and hotel customers is the most efficient way to control inventory being misplaced. There is not a foolproof way to control theft, but by pulling together we may deter the end-users from making poor choices.

In the end, without proper inventory control, the guest or patient experience is not going to be favorable. Consumers expect clean linen, and sometimes extra linen, at their disposal. It all leads back to saving par.

Check back tomorrow for the conclusion!

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Wages for entry-level positions in TRSA (Textile Rental Services Association) member companies’ laundry operations grew faster in 2012 than pay for Americans as a whole, ranging from 1.5% for lesser-skilled positions like folding, ironing and hangering to 4.3% for more complex tasks like load-building and pressing, according to the TRSA 2012 Plant Employee Compensation Report.

Hourly pay across the spectrum of U.S. jobs increased less than 1% (0.89%) from fourth quarter 2011 to the same time in 2012. Thus, entry-level laundry positions’ median wage growth was almost twice to five times the national average. The higher-skilled segment of this group of laundry and dry cleaning roles has outpaced the workforce as a whole in this metric since 2009, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS’) most recent data compilations.

Thirty-seven companies reported their wage and benefit practices to TRSA for the report; roughly one-third were healthcare laundry specialists, one-third were equally divided between food/beverage/hospitality and industrial uniform specialists, and the remaining one-third were mixed.

Laundry production workers who had worked in the industry for one to four years earned the highest median wage from linen specialists: $10.40 to $11.70 per hour varying with job complexity. Mixed plants had the lowest such pay ($7.75 to $9.14).

The TRSA 2012 Plant Employee Compensation Report also reflected the importance to the industry of recruiting outstanding route service personnel and ensuring customer satisfaction. Hourly base rates for such personnel with one to four years experience ranged from $13.25 to $17.49. This compares favorably with the economy-wide average of $13.22 for driver sales personnel. With incentives, the range for such TRSA drivers rises to $18 to $23.21.

Laundry production workers (roughly 40% of them) receive incentives as well; those in the 1- to 4-year experience range had overall median compensation ranging from $8.45 to $11.95.

TRSA produces the Plant Employee Compensation Report to enable association members to benchmark their pay and benefits practices, and covers the range of strategies deployed by textile service companies to take care of their people. The survey enables industry operators to compare their practices with operations similar to theirs in line of business, number of locations and sales volume.

For each position in each classification of company, an average salary or wage is listed with incentive potential and the number of companies in the survey offering such incentives. Various approaches to providing fringes are described, such as percentage of premium paid by employer, deductible and co-pay amounts, and 401(k) matching.

Copies of the TRSA 2012 Plant Employee Compensation Report are free to participating TRSA members; non-participating members and participating non-members receive a discount; others pay full price.

Package pricing is available with the TRSA 2012 Industry Performance Report, another benchmarking tool. Visit the TRSA store to learn more about the association’s reports.

ROANOKE, Va. — It seems that making the required adjustments in your laundry operation is a never-ending process. We must consider a number of variables as we make periodic adjustments to our operations. With this in mind, I have decided to discuss—over the course of the next several months—the factors and opportunities available to every manager in fine-tuning their operation.

First, let’s take a look at the soil-sort department. This area varies by laundry, and the quality of the process in this area can make a major impact on the overall operation. I guess the first decision to be made is whether we are going to sort the soiled linen or not.

It used to be a popular idea, both in Canada and the United States, to sort healthcare linen after it had been washed and decontaminated. I know of a number of laundries in both countries that have abandoned that idea in an effort to reduce chemical, labor and linen-replacement costs.

The purpose of sorting soiled linen is to remove trash and other foreign material before the linen is washed, and to facilitate the proper cleaning and handling of the linen through the laundry.

The larger the laundry, the greater the number of sorting classifications. Smaller laundries may mix all large dry items together, while large laundries will sort thermal blankets, bath blankets, knitted contour sheets and incontinent pads into separate classifications.

The more detailed the sort, the more the wash formula and the drying times can be customized for each individual product. (The ability to fine-tune a dryer formula will be considered in a future column.)

Ideally, linen should be handled as few as times as possible as it moves through the laundry. A thorough soil-sort process eliminates the need to sort the product after it has been washed and conditioned or dried.

For example, we use a soil-sort classification just for our white hospital bath towels. This allows the operator on the small-piece folder in the production area to quickly process the items without having to handle unrelated items. Once processed, the items are placed in stacks of 10 on a conveyor belt that moves through an automatic tie machine and then delivers the product to the cart make-up area.

Bath towels are only touched three times before they are ready to be packed for orders: during the soil-sort process, as they are fed into the small-piece folder and, finally, as they are put on the conveyor. This economy of effort leads to a highly efficient and effective laundry.

In reviewing the soil-sort area of the laundry, I will normally check the established classifications to determine if they still meet the needs of the laundry. I check to see how many times each must be handled before the product is ready to be placed in carts for delivery. This survey tells me if I need to add or subtract soil-sort classifications.

I will also review what percentage of my overall work volume is represented by each classification. I want to make sure that high-volume items receive the greatest amount of attention. I also use this information to make sure that all high-volume items are placed in appropriate positions along the soil-sort platform. Efficiency can be improved when high-volume items are placed in the best positions.

It is important to remember that the mix in your laundry will change over time. Your process requires periodic review to ensure that the underlying mix has not changed.

Review and re-evaluate production standards for this area during this fine-tuning process. Changes made in the number of classifications and the placement of each in the soil-sort area will impact an employee’s productivity. Being able to measure the impact of the changes and validate that you have improved your operation is a critical component in being a good manager.

Finally, assess the quality of your soil-sort process. How many items are showing up in the wrong category? A bath towel accidentally sorted into a load of white sheets will need to either be rewashed or gathered, dried and then routed to the appropriate finish area. The most economical way to process linen is to do it right the first time. Tracking the amount of linen that is incorrectly sorted can give you an ongoing measure of your soil-sort area’s effectiveness.

LAKEWOOD, Colo. — While laundry might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the quality of care at a healthcare facility, it does play an important role.

Every year, hospitals and other healthcare facilities produce more than 5 billion pounds of soiled linens. Laundry managers are consistently updating protocols and procedures to ensure linens are thoroughly cleaned and free of bacteria and other viruses. Studies have shown that a textile can be considered a fomite—an object capable of carrying an organism and serving as a reservoir that can be involved in bacterial transmission. Various types of bacteria can survive up to 90 days on linens, according to published reports.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), there are multiple methods to hygienically clean textiles. Each method, however, requires an equipment mix designed to incorporate the various processes.

In addition, with a large volume of laundry being processed each year, it’s also important for healthcare organizations to ensure they are being as efficient as possible to keep operation costs low.

With proper laundry equipment and processing protocols, the risk of textiles posing as a source of infection to patients and employees can be greatly minimized, as well as reduce utility costs.

IN HOT WATER

Experts say that in order to kill bacteria and other viruses on linen, laundry should be washed with detergent and bleach for 25 minutes in water that is heated to 160 F. Studies have shown that bacteria, viruses and even bed bugs cannot survive this water temperature or chemical mix.

If your facility has chosen to use this method, it must be able to test water to make sure it’s reaching the 160-degree requirement in case the operation is ever audited. To meet this requirement, the laundry equipment will require an advanced control.

Advanced controls are able to show the exact water temperature inside the washing machine to help employees ensure the laundry is being washed at the correct temperature. These controls also allow users to program fill, wash and rinse water temperatures. Additionally, the controls – either networked or wireless – can send data to a computer, which allows managers to print reports to ensure protocols are being properly followed in the wash. This option also enables supervisors to provide documentation should the facility ever need to prove that its washing procedures meet federal requirements.

If a facility is concerned about water usage, some advanced controls allow users to select from as many as 30 different water levels. Programs such as these will help contribute to a reduction in water costs because employees can select the appropriate water level based on load capacity. It’s reported that spray-rinse machines can reduce water usage up to 11% when compared to traditional bath-style rinse models.

HIGH EXTRACTION SPEED

Regardless of which option is chosen to complete wash cycles, it’s equally critical to make sure machines have high G-force extraction speeds.

This extraction helps maximize water removal from linens in the spin cycle. The higher the G-force, the more water removed from linens. Newer machines offer top speeds of 400 G-force, the highest in the industry. When maximum water is removed in the wash, dry times are greatly reduced, further reducing utility costs.

THE DRYING PROCESS

Since textiles are already put through a rigorous washing process, it’s important to use tumble dryer programs that will help linens last longer and avoid expensive replacement costs. The dryer should work as a system with the washer-extractor, using the same control platform to ensure ease of use and optimal efficiency. This will allow staff to increase throughput, and contribute to lower operating expenses.

When selecting a dryer, make sure the manufacturer has achieved the perfect balance between drying temperature, airflow pattern and usable cylinder space for maximum energy efficiency.

Some equipment on the market offers over-dry prevention technology, which automatically turns a dryer off once the linens inside have reached the optimal dryness level. Over-drying wastes gas and can damage linens and garments, causing replacement costs to rise each year.

It’s estimated that 79% of on-premise laundries over-dry linens by more than eight minutes per cycle when using a 75-pound tumble dryer. By eliminating that extra time per cycle, laundries can save nearly $1,000 in gas costs a year and nearly $5,000 in labor expenses. Additionally, textiles experience 31% less fiber loss when over-dry prevention technology is used, according to reports.

MORE ON ADVANCED CONTROLS

Advanced control platforms offer many benefits to maximize efficiency and productivity in the laundry room. Over the past five years, laundry control platforms have advanced. Previously, there were only a few options to choose from when picking laundry cycles. Today’s healthcare facilities have more programming options available. While some facilities may outsource laundry service, others have taken their laundry operations back in-house so they can have full control, reduce costs and increase quality.

Advanced controls help laundry managers identify expenses within their operations and pinpoint specific areas where they can increase efficiency and reduce costs associated with labor, linen replacement, utilities and maintenance. With nearly 50% of costs associated with labor, up to 25% for linen replacement and roughly 13% on utilities, it benefits managers to be able to easily identify inefficiencies or potential problems and correct them fast.

Features such as delayed start allow employees to load washing machines before the end of their shift and have the first load completed by the beginning of the next day. Laundries can complete one extra load per day, allowing for savings in labor costs.

The real-time clock feature lets managers see what time each cycle was started and stopped, and the idle-time feature monitors the length of time in between the starting and stopping of cycles. Maintenance reminders are ideal for the engineering staff, as reminders are programmed to alert employees for timely servicing.

REDUCE RISK, LOWER UTILITIES

It would be beneficial for healthcare facilities to take a hard look at their on-premise laundry operation and work with their suppliers and product manufacturers to pinpoint areas where they can increase efficiency and reduce costs, and, most importantly, achieve the best results for their patients.

Consulting Services: David Bernstein, Turn-Key Industrial Engineering Services, Charlottesville, Va.

You owe a duty to your employees to ensure a safe work environment and to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazards on the job. At the same time, you have a duty to your customers to ensure their textiles are processed in an efficient, productive and timely manner.

Most people think of healthcare linen as the primary sharps concern because of the serious health issues that can arise from laundry workers being stuck by needles or cut by other sharp medical devices, but those of you who operate non-healthcare laundries should also be concerned with how the intrusion of these items can present a danger and affect the smooth flow of production through your plant.

Do all that you can to eliminate the intrusion of sharps into soiled linen before that linen reaches your loading dock. Your sales and service teams need to partner with customers to provide education for their management and employees so that they can put the proper controls in place. Taking the time when a new customer comes on board to provide training and education for their team can go a long way toward ensuring the safety of your workers and the uninterrupted flow of goods through your plant.

In the healthcare realm, work with your customers’ infection control and/or environmental departments to ensure that they are using safer medical devices with the latest engineering controls (e.g. sharps containers, needleless systems, self-sheathing needles, etc.). Some customers may initially resist adopting some of these devices based on cost, but having a frank conversation with them about the cost of each exposure may help them to come around.

Those of you processing industrial and non-healthcare linen should be having the same kind of ongoing dialogue with your customers, albeit from a slightly different angle. You may need to approach the topic from an economic perspective. Explain how a sharp knife can injure a production worker, how a fork can puncture the diaphragm of a press extractor and shut down your production (for hours or days), how a screwdriver can damage a washer-extractor or a dryer, etc.

Of course, any of you who run a laundry that processes food and beverage linen have also seen silverware and cooking tools end up in these facilities, and I would suggest that you explain how much money is being wasted on items that end up in your soil room rather than in their dishwashers.

Cultivate an attitude of zero tolerance toward the appearance of sharps in your customers’ soil. It has become common practice in healthcare laundries to, as a part of a written exposure plan, log the appearance of sharps and other foreign objects in soiled laundry and provide a monthly report to your customers. I would argue that you should take this practice further.

Work with your team and your customers’ risk management and infection control departments to develop a list of priority items that, if found among your linen, trigger an immediate call to the customer and an investigation into how the item got into your soil room.

Some laundries charge customers for each foreign item found among their soil, with higher amounts charged for more dangerous items. This type of negative reinforcement can turn a customer off of your service, so I recommend taking a more positive approach. Reward employees who find, report and properly handle sharps, and consider an annual award to those customers who eliminate or reduce the number of sharps and other foreign items sent to your laundry.

In many laundry processing facilities, soil-sort workers are considered the first line of defense against the intrusion of sharps and other foreign objects. With time, constant vigilance, strict monitoring of items that come into your laundry, and innovative partnering strategies, you should be able to achieve continuing reductions.

Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing: Scott Delin, Superior Uniform Group, Seminole, Fla.

Numerous types of sicknesses can be contracted due to encounters with needles, surgical instruments, cutlery or more. Proactive communication between the laundry and healthcare facility is key to avoiding them.

Every time a laundry discovers sharps in the soiled linen, the occurrence should be documented and reported immediately to the healthcare facility. Prepare and present an incident report to the appropriate department. By physically showing the sharps that came back in the soiled linen, it might be possible to identify the specific department from where they came and prevent future occurrences.

Schedule ongoing educational sessions with individual departments as needed. In an effort to ensure that facilities properly dispose of sharps, laundries should provide their healthcare facilities with collection containers and proper signage at all collection points. These safety measures will result in a reduced amount of sharps coming back to laundry facilities in the soiled linen.

Check back Tuesday for the third and final part!

Healthcare Laundry: Judy Murphy, RN, BSN, CLLM, RLLD, North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo, Miss.

There is an increased risk of sharps exposure for laundry employees, especially for those who work in the soil-sort process. To help stem the flow of these items, and to keep the communication lines open with clinical staff, the laundry manager should meet regularly (at least quarterly) with nurse managers, surgery, emergency services, ambulance, etc., to help determine the root causes. This cooperative effort helps establish rapport with clinical staff while addressing legitimate concerns.

Most healthcare organizations have a PI (Performance Improvement) team and/or safety committee that looks at the various OSHA violations (both recordables and non-recordables). The laundry manager should volunteer to participate on this type of team so that these concerns can be voiced to the appropriate people and so that he/she can remain abreast of the efforts being made to address them.

Champion the use of safety devices and engineering controls designed to decrease the risk of employee exposure. Assist with the research and promotion of these efforts by utilizing resources (other laundry managers, industry standards, guidelines, etc.) to determine “best practice” policies and procedures that could be implemented in the facility.

There are circumstances (emergency “Code Blue” resuscitations, for example) that, due to their chaotic nature, increase the likelihood of sharps being lost in linens. Provide education/training to your laundry personnel in the proper shaking-out and separation of soiled linens. And be sure to include techniques on how to pick up sharps (i.e. utilizing tongs or other grasping devices) and dispose of them properly.

Hotel/Motel/Resort Laundry: Charles Loelius, The Pierre New York, New York, N.Y.

Finding foreign objects in linens is not an uncommon occurrence. Trash, glass, dishes and cutlery are sometimes mistakenly and carelessly mixed in with the soiled linens by the end-users when gathering the linen for reprocessing. Healthcare linen poses the additional threat of bacterial and viral contamination from needles and scalpels.

Although my laundry processes hospitality linens, we observe universal precautions when detecting and handling sharps. Sharps, in our case, consist of cutlery and broken glass sent down the laundry chute in error by our end-user, the room attendants.

All incidents are documented, and the appropriate people are notified. All soil sorters wear proper protective equipment, including masks and puncture-resistant gloves. Broken glass is picked up with tongs or brush and dustpan and placed in a medically approved sharps container. This container is disposed of when three-quarters full.

The laundry maintains a log according to OSHA guidelines that lists the date and location of the incident as well as the type of sharp.

We have weekly meetings with the room attendants to provide details of the prior week’s foreign objects found in the linen. We seek to educate them on the danger that sharp objects pose to their co-workers.

We also seek feedback from the housekeeping team on ways to reduce the instances of foreign objects, particularly glasses, dishes and cutlery, which pose a safety hazard.

In the end, we stress regular communications to achieve buy-in from our end-users to reduce the problem with sharps. At the same time, the processes are in place to minimize the safety hazard should these mistakes continue.

Equipment/Supply Distribution: Bill Bell, Steiner-Atlantic Corp., Miami, Fla.

I reached out to a few of my customers who are professional healthcare laundry managers and have decades of experience. They all shared that this problem never goes away. There are procedures in place to control exposure to sharps, but it is extremely difficult to eliminate them from making it to the laundry.

Metal detectors are too expensive and will not detect small needles in bulk linen. You would think that most instruments would be coming primarily from ambulance, emergency rooms and surgical, but that’s not the case. They simply come from everywhere in a facility.

By educating healthcare staff, the flow of sharps will significantly decrease. Most of the sharps on the patient care units have been eliminated or at least reduced by using tubing and needles with safety devices. Re-educating the infection control nurse at each property on a quarterly basis seems to work best.

Most healthcare laundry facilities operating under pool linen or COG programs monitor each facility’s goods upon receipt for control of linen shortages, damage, etc., so anything more intensive than that wouldn’t be cost-effective. So, it’s all about education, education, education!

Check back Thursday for Part 2!

MISSION, Kan. — Since the 1960s, when disposable products first appeared in hospitals, the textile services industry has fought a largely losing battle against disposables for market share. As a result, many healthcare professionals have only known single-use disposable items in the operating room (OR).

However, the current focus on sustainability, combined with education, is starting to make a difference in how healthcare professionals view reusable textiles. For example, several healthcare groups have recommended that member hospitals increase their use of reusable textiles in order to minimize waste and its associated disposal costs. And the textile services industry now has life-cycle analyses and case studies that support reusable textiles as the environmentally preferable choice over single-use disposable items.

The American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) recently conducted its second webinar for Practice Greenhealth on the benefits of reusable surgical textiles. The information from that webinar and other ARTA resources is presented here for the consideration of suppliers and laundry operators.

COST-EFFECTIVE, SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE

Those who have worked in healthcare for more than 30 years may remember the reusable gowns and drapes used before disposables were introduced. But today’s reusable healthcare linens, gowns and drapes are dramatically superior to those used in the 1960s. Consider the facts:

Reusable surgical textiles meet or exceed AAMI standards. Indeed, reusable gowns and drapes meet or exceed AAMI³ barrier protection standards required in the healthcare environment for Level 1 to Level 4 gowns. And reusable gowns and drapes often offer a more comfortable alternative to single-use disposable gowns and drapes.

LCAs prove reusables have a smaller carbon footprint. In addition, several life-cycle analyses (LCA) have confirmed that reusable surgical gowns and drapes are environmental preferable over single-use disposable products.

The 2009 life-cycle assessment study conducted by the University of Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) examined three areas: cost, environmental impact and infection prevention. In summary, the research conducted at the University of Minnesota Medical Center⁴ (2,000 beds and 20,000 surgical procedures a year) found that reusable medical textiles (chemo, isolation and surgical gowns) provided cost savings of $360,000 per year, reduced waste by 254,000 pounds per year, produced CO2 emissions three times less than disposables, and produced carcinogenic emissions 16 times less than disposables (i.e. arsenic, chromium, lead) while offering the same infection prevention attributes.

Earlier studies conducted in 2008 by the Textile Rental Association of Australia⁵ and in 2000 by the European Textile Services Association confirmed similar findings.⁶

Case studies build credibility among healthcare professionals. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that about 80% of surgical drapes and gowns now used in hospitals are disposable. It estimates that by using reusable linen products and recycling other items as able, hospitals can reduce surgical waste by 73% in weight and 93% in volume.⁷

A study in The American Surgeon compared costs incurred by two similar hospitals — one used disposable gowns and the other reusable gowns. Annual expenditures were $66,000 and $25,000 respectively.⁸

Winter Haven Hospital, Winter Haven, Fla., converted to a reusable surgical textile program in 2001. Within five years, the cost savings were found to total $625,000.⁹

Kaiser Permanente’s use of reusable surgical gown and basin sets reduced the organization’s regulated medical waste by 30 tons, at a savings of 3.8% in 2010, according to Andrew Knight, senior sourcing director of Kaiser Permanente in San Diego.¹⁰

HOW TO CONVERT TO OR INCREASE USE OF REUSABLE SURGICAL TEXTILES

For a supplier or an operator of an on-premise or commercial laundry or a laundry cooperative, sharing the facts can warm healthcare clients to the pitch to convert to, or increase the use of, reusable surgical textiles. But they may need hands-on help in getting a surgical textile program started.

They could be looking for assistance with product selection, budgeting, storage layout and inventory levels. Touring a laundry that processes reusable surgical textiles might be beneficial. Their ability to gather information and build support may be the key.

What are some ways to increase the use of surgical textiles in the OR?

Reusable Surgical Towels — Offering reusable surgical towels for the OR can be an easy, logical “foot in the door.” Some suppliers now tout a disposable surgical towel that can be reused. Yes, these products can survive a wash or two, but they cannot be compared to a woven, reusable surgical towel for effectiveness, sustainability and durability.

Reusable Surgical Gowns and Drapes — Today’s surgical textiles provide comfort, flexibility, breathability, safety, fluid barrier performance, strength and durability, and low rates of particle release (linting). Upfront costs for switching to or increasing use of reusable gowns and drapes can seem expensive, but case studies show a well-managed program is actually more cost-effective than using disposables.

As a bonus, when hospitals switched to reusable gowns and drapes, they saved substantial sums by retrieving lost surgical instruments that would have been thrown away.

For example, the University of Maryland Center moved to reusable textiles in the OR more than 15 years ago, and utilizes a vendor to provide clean, sterilized textiles. In 2010, the medical center avoided creating 138,748 pounds of waste as a result of using reusable textiles in the OR, which correlates to estimated cost savings of nearly $39,000 in disposal costs and an estimated $39,000 in returned instruments (which would have been thrown away if the hospital was using disposable gowns and drapes in its OR).¹¹

Custom Surgical Packs and Hybrid Packs — For clients using disposable surgical packs and throwing lots of items in the trash, custom packs (sterile or non sterile) or hybrid packs (including key disposable items with reusables) could be an alternative.

While hybrid surgical packs and increasing recycling of items is helpful, even reprocessed disposables must eventually be thrown away. According to Dr. Rafael Andrade, a general thoracic surgeon at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, the larger goal is to resume the old practice of relying on permanently reusable equipment.

“We’re just trying to undo a lot of the damage we’ve done,” he says. To that end, Andrade and a nurse, Lynn Thelen, started an O.R. Green Team at Fairview. With input from colleagues, they reviewed 38 types of OR packs, identified which supplies were never used (such as plastic basins, catheters, syringes and dressings), and asked their medical product vendor to remove them. One kit for implanting an intravenous port in chemotherapy patients contained 44 items, but the Green Team downsized it to 27 items and switched disposable gowns and linens for reusable ones. This effort eliminated a pound of trash and $50 in supply costs per procedure. In the first year, the various kit reformulations eliminated almost 8,000 pounds of waste and saved $104,658.¹²

FOOTNOTES

3) Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. 2005, P. 957-958. Selection and use of protective apparel and surgical drapes in healthcare facilities. Arlington, Va.

4) University of Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP), Catherine Zimmer and A.J. van den Berghe, 2009.

5) Life Cycle Assessment Comparing Laundered Surgical Gowns with Polypropylene Disposable Gowns, The Australian Textile Rental and Laundry Association, prepared by the Centre for Design at RMIT University, Andrew Carre, 2008.

6) Life Cycle Assessment of Surgical Gowns, Anders Schmidt, PhD, dk-TEKNIK Energy & Environment, April, 2000

7) Tieszen ME, Gruenberg JC, A quantitative, qualitative and critical assessment of surgical waste. JAMA 1992;267:2765-8.

8) Cost Containment in the Operating Room, TAS, Oct. 1992.

9) Winter Haven Hospital Case Study, Conversion to Reusable Surgical Textiles, Winter Haven, Fla., 2006.

10) Regulated Medical Waste Reduction and Minimization, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Case Study, Guidance Documents, Greening the OR, Practice Greenhealth, 2011.

11) Reusable Textiles in the OR, The University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, Case Study, Guidance Documents, Greening the OR, Practice Greenhealth, 2011.

12) Dr. Rafael Andrade, surgeon, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, speaking at CleanMed 2010, organized by Practice Greenhealth, quoted in New York Times, June 5, 2010, issue, reporter Ingfei Chen.

Check back Thursday for Part 3: Change is hard

ROANOKE, Va. — I have been employed in the healthcare laundry market for more than 40 years, starting as a washman in a healthcare laundry in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 1972. I have often marveled at the changes in the laundry industry over the past four decades. The industry has been unpredictable at times, but I have always found my work enjoyable and interesting.

In this month’s column, I project what the laundry industry will be like in 20 years. Now, I know my crystal ball is not perfect, and I claim no special ability to predict the future, but a little common sense can go a long way in predicting what might happen.

My expertise is in the area of healthcare textiles, so I will deal only with this segment of the business. There are four main areas that will affect our industry: national healthcare, environmental concerns, energy, and textiles.

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EFFECTS

In the year 2033, the U.S. healthcare laundry market will look very much like the Canadian laundry market does today. The majority of U.S. healthcare will be controlled by the government through its single provider network. Because government is the major source of all revenue, it will be actively involved in helping to control costs on all levels.

Administrators have for years looked at linen service in a healthcare facility as an unavoidable cost. They have continually looked at ways to reduce the costs associated with this service by outsourcing to lower-cost providers, using contract management companies, limiting the number of items in the linen inventory, and re-introducing cost-effective reusable products.

Sometime between now and 2033, the politicians will focus on commercial laundries that want to make a profit off of sick people, and the inefficient in-house laundries, and make the decision government always makes: they can do it better. Just like Canada, the U.S. government will establish a network of healthcare authority laundries that will provide predictable-quality linen service to all healthcare facilities.

This move will probably happen at or near the point when the brain trust in Washington similarly takes over the food service programs at hospitals, moving the majority of food preparation to regional, off-site central kitchens.

The commercial laundry industry will, of course, fight this development, but in the end it will lose.

This development of government-operated central laundries will also eliminate all contract management business in the healthcare laundry market. A number of provider companies will find themselves in a position to sell their facility to the government or face owning a facility that has no customers.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

The need to lessen our collective impact on the environment will continue to be heralded over the next 20 years. It will reach the point that all laundries will need to treat their wastewater and reuse it. (We currently reuse a little more than 50% of our water used in processing linen.) Over the next 20 years, substantial research-and-development dollars will be spent in all industries to make it possible for them to clean and reuse water. Once the technology is available, all laundries will be required to use it.

Similar improvements will be found in boilers, dryers and ironers, reducing our use of energy but forcing the industry to quickly utilize the newest technologies.

Government planners will mandate the use of reusable linen surgical packs and other items. Government-run laundries will make and sterilize surgical packs for use in the operating rooms. They will provide reusable underpads and isolation gowns. Every effort will be made to lessen the amount of trash that needs to go into a landfill. New fabrics will be developed that are easier to wash but present additional challenges in the finishing area. Some of these products may eliminate the need for ironers altogether (more on that later).

Washroom chemicals will need to be developed based on their ability to clean and their effect on the environment. All products will have to be biologically safe and have a minimal effect on the environment. This will require our universities to train a new breed of enviro-chemist. These chemists will understand how various chemical properties will affect the environment. Over the years, they will greatly expand our knowledge in this area, as we learn from our mistakes and get better at predicting the unintended consequences of our actions.

ENERGY

Environmental consequences will be the driving force behind our energy policies. The internal combustion engine will continue to be Public Enemy No. 1. To effectively reduce pollution from automobiles and trucks, the government will continue to allow oil prices to increase. The steady increase in fuel processing which will create higher gasoline and diesel prices will cause consumers and companies to reduce their use of these products. This reduction will be heralded as a major achievement for the environment.

Some companies will switch their vehicles over to natural gas, and this will help for a while. But the current excess supply of natural gas will quickly disappear and the government will move to limit fracking as an environmentally hazardous way to get this energy source.

This energy policy will affect the number and location of government-run central healthcare laundries. These plants will be designed to provide services to healthcare facilities in a well-defined geographic area. Gone will be the days of operating a depot in a far-off city! Distance and possible weather-related problems will determine the location of healthcare laundries. Gone will be the days of several laundries competing to serve the same geographic area. Each area will be carefully planned, and healthcare providers will find themselves assigned to the government-run laundry in their area. The government will do away with the VA laundry system.

Nursing homes and other non-acute care healthcare facilities will also be directed by the government into one of these government-controlled laundries. The power of the U.S. government will be based on the control it can exert as a single payer.

TEXTILES

It does not take a lot of imagination to see the development of a new line of products that will enhance the healing process and decrease bed sores. The current reimbursement system will penalize facilities for skin care problems that develop during a patient’s stay in a facility.

Recently, I have seen several linen items just coming to the market that have clinical proof of their success in this area. The washing and finishing requirements for these products are dramatically different from our traditional linen. Early prototypes do not require the use of an ironer to finish the sheets, and they dry much faster than traditional linens.

The driving force in this area will be the improved health of patients due to their use of this type of linen. I predict that healthcare facilities will demand that laundries provide these items despite being more expensive for the laundry to purchase and driving up the cost per use over traditional linen items. The added cost of treating in-hospital skin problems will make these higher linen costs seem like a small investment.

My favorite Star Trek movie calls the future the “undiscovered territory.” We are free to dream and make it whatever we want. It’s my belief that the forces I cite in this article will impact the laundry industry as described unless we do something to change the current course of human events. I happily leave those efforts to others.

Chemicals Supply: Philip L. Bodner, Metro-Chem, Kearny, N.J.

Hello, my name is Phil Bodner, and I am a “soap-man.” I get to wear many hats and mean many things to the customers I serve. I’m pleased to be a part of American Laundry News’ continuing effort to bring new ideas and beneficial information to our industry. I hope to contribute to the conversation and provide whatever insights that my experience will allow.

I live in South Jersey with my wife, Penny. My likes include family, golf, history, politics, current events and dining out with our friends. For the past 28 years, I have worked as a sales representative and sales manager for Metro-Chem Inc., and my expertise in laundry technology extends from shirt laundering, hospitality and institutional, to linen supply and industrial uniform plants.

My responsibilities have included new product ideas and testing, hiring and training field technicians, procurement and engineering of automated injection systems, marketing and sales meetings, as well as maintaining many long-term customers in my own Philadelphia area territory.

At Metro-Chem, we manufacture more than 100 laundry-specific products for all laundry needs. We provide innovative, top-quality chemistry to all segments of the industry, but we believe that you can only be as good as your ongoing commitment to service in the field. It is this combination of effective products and a true consultative approach to technical service that I believe helps fuel our sales growth and delivers the greatest good to our individual customers’ businesses.

As a company, we stay abreast of everything from local water conditions and water restrictions, to wastewater regulations and new types of textiles and garments. As such, we’ve been busy in 2012 developing a new activated chemistry to help perform well in lower temperatures, lower pH and with fewer oxidizers required. This concept is moving us toward shorter wash formulas with importance placed on less water consumed per load.

We have also done our due diligence and created several new non-NPE surfactant-based detergents with exciting results. These formulations are more readily biodegradable for those that desire, or are required to take, a greener path toward laundry production.

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I hope that 2013 will provide opportunity, renewed prosperity and happiness to all in our industry and our country.

Equipment Manufacturing: Steve Hietpas, Maytag Commercial Laundry, St. Joseph, Mich.

Since graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing, I’ve spent the majority of my career—more than 15 years—in the commercial laundry industry, with a focus on the OPL segment.

Currently a senior sales manager, I joined the Maytag® Commercial Laundry team in October 2007. To date, I have managed OPL sales throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Canadian markets, and I work directly with distributors to ensure our products meet the needs of their customers. Previously, I was a regional sales manager for another commercial laundry equipment manufacturer covering a similar territory. My background also includes working with national accounts that purchase equipment directly for their own use, as well as selling to franchisees.

Maytag® Commercial Laundry offers a full range of commercial washers and dryers to the OPL market through an international network of distributors. Our company is dedicated to developing energy-efficient solutions and dependable products for the commercial laundry market. And in 2008, Maytag® Commercial Laundry celebrated the 50-year anniversary of its entry into the commercial laundry business.

As the industry continues to evolve, so does commercial laundry equipment. From a manufacturer’s perspective, this can create challenges. An excellent example of this is the ongoing objectives to increase the energy and/or water efficiency of equipment, while decreasing the amount of time it takes to do laundry—therefore decreasing labor costs—and providing exceptional cleanability.

2012 was a busy and successful one for Maytag® Commercial Laundry. We introduced an industrial line of soft-mount washer-extractors available in 180-, 230- and 275-pound models. We also enjoyed continued growth within the OPL market segment and are continuing to work on new product introductions for 2013 and beyond.

Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing: Scott Delin, Superior Uniform Group, Seminole, Fla.

I have expertise in image apparel and uniform program management, specializing in healthcare laundries. With more than a decade of supplier sales experience, and another 15 years in a mixed-plant linen supply company, I believe my hands-on knowledge base is unparalleled.

I, alongside my father, grew up operating a women’s apparel cut-and-sew operation. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge with others and helping them build successful partnerships.

The company I work for, Superior Uniform Group, was founded in 1920 as Superior Surgical Manufacturing. By 1926, its Fashion Seal Uniforms brand was created. After acquiring several other manufacturers over the years, Superior Surgical officially changed its name to Superior Uniform Group in 1998 to better reflect its greatly expanded clientele base.

Superior Uniform produces more than a dozen catalogs, outfitting employees from various industries that include healthcare, restaurant/food service and governmental/public safety. The company has also created a call center division called The Office Gurus, and a digital apparel division called everyBody Media, which were both launched in 2008 and 2011, respectively.

I am a board member for the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), where I develop and present in-house training programs that can be used in laundries as they seek new, innovative approaches to selling uniforms to the healthcare industry. I am also active in the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA), where I serve on its board of directors, and am a member of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) advisory board. I hold a bachelor of science degree in textile and apparel management from Philadelphia University.

A couple issues that will present challenges in the new year include market changes and how our healthcare customer base is looking for a new type of uniform look, with new kinds of user-friendly fabrics. I’ll also be thinking about more employee purchase programs as hospital and healthcare budgets continue to be cut.

NEW YORK — Superstorm Sandy flooded and crippled numerous hospital and hotel laundry operations when it struck the Northeast in late October.

Emergency preparedness planning made all the difference for the Hospital Central Services Cooperative (HCSC) Laundry, which consists of five plants and processes approximately 110 million pounds of linen for some 350 healthcare facilities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. The town of Asbury Park, N.J., where the laundry has its headquarters, was evacuated before the storm struck. The laundry lost power for a week.

“This was an unprecedented situation for us,” says Bill Moyer, vice president of Marketing Services for HCSC. “We had never had a plant out of service for a week. It was a worst-case scenario.”

HCSC management put its emergency preparedness plan into effect days before the storm struck, says Moyer. Linen conservation alerts were sent out to all healthcare linen customers, as they share a common linen inventory. Linen orders were escalated and prepared a day ahead of time. Linen volume was shared and produced by the laundry’s sister plants in Camden, N.J., Allentown, Pa., and Baltimore, Md. The laundry’s service suffered only “minimal” disruption, according to Moyer.

“The storm presented a logistical nightmare,” he says. “This was as bad as it gets. Fortunately, our other plants stepped up and picked up the slack. It took a tremendous amount of planning, a high level of teamwork and cooperation, and a good deal of patience by everyone concerned.”

He continues, “I can’t say enough about the importance of having backup capability in your system during a storm. I don’t know what we would’ve done without it. During the storm, our hospitals absorbed more patients who were evacuated from nursing homes. Their censuses were up.”

In the aftermath of the storm, some manufacturers and distributors of laundry machinery announced programs aimed at helping laundries replace equipment destroyed by Sandy.

Alliance Laundry Systems, Laundrylux and Dexter Laundry were among the companies that announced programs offering deferred payments and interest and no fees on equipment purchases made by qualified on-premise laundries. American Dryer Corp. stepped up its production to make certain enough laundry equipment would be readily available to customers during the recovery.

Alliance’s Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief program allows owners to replace their damaged washers and dryers with no payments or interest for up to four months, no loan fees, and a cash allowance to assist with installation costs. Additionally, there is no prepayment penalty if customers choose to pay off their loan in full with reimbursement eventually received from FEMA or their insurer.

Alliance has made the program available to qualifying laundries in New York and New Jersey, but will review other situations and offer the finance program to other affected laundries on a case-by-case basis.

“The purpose of the program is to help laundries get back on their feet and start operating again, while they are sorting out their insurance claims,” says Bill Brooks, North American sales manager for UniMac, an Alliance company.

Under Laundrylux’s Disaster Recovery Program, qualified laundries purchasing Electrolux or Wascomat equipment can make no payments for up to six months and pay no interest for up to 12 months. All associated fees will be waived. The program is available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.

Dexter’s program offers qualifying laundry owners in the Hurricane Sandy-affected areas of New York and New Jersey the ability to purchase equipment for up to six months of no payments, with no origination or documentation fees, along with a special allowance for installation and start-up costs. Customers wishing to pay off their loan after recovery from their insurer or other agency will face no prepayment penalties.