Here’s why medical workers should keep scrubs contained to the hospital, clinic, or other medical facility: 

Dangers to the Medical Worker

It’s easy to feel comfortable when it’s time to leave work. When an employee goes through the exit, more of their job is with them than they want to think about. The longer their clothes from work are on their body, the longer they’re exposing themselves to those dangers. All it takes is a touch and a forgetful eye rub to introduce dangerous microbes. 

Dangers to the Medical Worker’s Family

If the scrubs that protected a medical worker all day are coming home with them at night, it’s impossible to leave work at the door. Depending on the kind of environment a medical worker is in, they could be taking home some dangerous guests. Bacteria, harmful microbes, and viruses are all too common, and all too resilient in the fibers of clothing. 

Home laundromats are not equipped with the cleaning agents or temperatures needed to properly clean medical scrubs. Without those means available, those harmful microbes aren’t killed. If sharing a load with other clothing items or towels, there’s a chance those microbes are going to spread. 

Dangers to the Public 

Though it’s unlikely that the public comes into contact with scrubs that are being worn post-shift, it’s not impossible. If a counter is leaned on, a door pushed open with a shoulder, a shirt used to open a bathroom handle – that’s a possible point of transmission. It’s difficult to account for every variable that could arise in public, but the possibilities are certain. 

Dangers to the Patients 

Perhaps the most vulnerable people to scrubs worn outside the medical facility are those inside the facility. When working with sick people, compromised immune systems, wounds, or other injuries, risk of infection is never too far away. If the scrubs that were worn outside, for lunch or to run errands, comes back in, it’s bringing with it every thing it encountered. If somebody in line sneezes or coughs in your direction, whatever is in it could stick to your scrubs. That’s exposure to foreign agents that might cause unnecessary complications. 

How to Keep Scrubs Clean, Safe, and Ready

Work in the medical field is also some of the most dangerous work around. It doesn’t need to be made more dangerous due to unsafe scrub maintenance procedures. To ensure that your medical facility, employees, patients, and the public are protected, institute a uniform program. Through a quality provider like Medico Linen, your medical facility’s uniforms will always be clean and ready. 

Call Medico Healthcare Linen Services Today

Above all, safety is the most important aspect of any medical operation. If you’re ready to embrace certainty and confidence in your medical facility’s scrubs, give Medico a call at (800) 464-6334. Contact us here for more information! 

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With so much riding on the quality of the company in charge of your medical linens and uniforms, there’s no room for chance. But how can you know whether the company you’re looking at has what it takes? One way is to look at their industry-recognized accreditations or certifications. Here are some to look for, all of which have been earned by Medico. 

HLAC Accreditation

The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council was created in 2005 in response to the wants of textile professionals. With so many unscrupulous textile launderers coming into the field, there needed to be a way to separate them from the good. To fulfill this need, the HLAC Accreditation was created. It formed a strict set of adherences that any laundry facility wishing to earn its badge must abide by. 

A few examples of these requirements include:

• Optimized facility design 
• Established linen maintenance procedures
• Abide by all state and local regulations
• Ability to pass a peer-reviewed best practices/recommendations for infection prevention

With renewal required every three years, which involves thorough inspection, interviews, and microbial testing, HLAC Accreditation goes a long way. 

Hygienically Clean Certification by TRSA

A Hygienically Clean Certification by TRSA indicates that a laundry facility has met requirements set in their standards guide. This includes detailed evidence of procedures in place for:

• Functional separation of soiled and clean areas
• Equipment (maintenance and calibration)
• Pest Control
• Regular housekeeping/cleaning of
  • Work surfaces 
  • Equipment 
  • Carts
• Established laundry processes and procedures
• Established drying procedures 
• Safe and reliable transportation

Additionally, the Hygienically Clean Certification must also be renewed every three years. Thorough inspection, employee interviews, and microbial testing ensures that TRSA’s high standards are upheld at all times. 

LaundryESP 

The Laundry Environmental Stewardship Program aims to reduce the environmental effect of the laundry industry. This voluntary pollution prevention program was established in 1997 to address growing concerns over the industry’s pollutive tendencies. Since its establishment, LaundryESP has aided in a:

• 24% reduction of CO2 emissions
• 27% reduction in total energy consumption, including:
  • 26% reduction in natural gas
  • 9% reduction in electricity
  • 75% reduction in fuel oil
  • 81% decline in propane
  • 30% in all hydrocarbon (production) fuels
• 10.9 trillion BTU reduction
• 33% reduction in gallons of water used

Joining the LaundryESP establishes the facility as a forward-looking entity that cares about its impact on the community and surrounding environment. More than beneficial for those around the facility, a LaundryESP membership also indicates that the facility has a long-term mindset. If you want a reliable medical linen and uniform provider that will stick around to serve your needs, this is a membership to look for. 

Clean Green Certification

Another TRSA creation, the Clean Green Certification “recognizes companies that demonstrate responsible leadership in sustainability and conservation.” Earning this certification means that the facility has made strides towards reuse, renewal, and reclaiming resources used in the laundering process.  

Medico is Your Accredited, Certified, Linen and Uniform Provider

For medical linen that you don’t have to fret over, give Medico a call. Not only do we provide clean and reliable delivery, we also have the accreditations to prove it. Above all, we strive to give our customers the best service possible. To start, or to learn more, give us a call at (800) 464.6334 or ask about a free consultation!

The post Medico’s Service Accreditations and Certifications appeared first on Medico Healthcare Linen Service.

Why is Patient Comfort Important? 

The contemporary medical experience is difficult to go through. Between uncomfortable medical procedures and nerve-wracking interactions, most people dread even visiting a hospital, let alone staying in one. Making those who have to be there more comfortable is vital to enhancing their healing process. 

Medical facilities with environments that generate genuine patient comfort benefit from increased volume, loyalty, and referrals. For improved rates of patient turnover and satisfaction, patient comfort is the secret ingredient. 

Issues with Current Understandings of Patient Comfort

Healing is a complicated, multifaceted, and individuated process. There’s an allure to understanding patient comfort as objectively as possible. But trying to box the healing process into a textbook definition has led to some confined translations and ineffective efforts. 

The most common definition of a “healing environment” is one that “enhances cohesion of mind, body, and spirit and promotes social cohesion and healing relationships.” While that sounds well and good, it’s rather lofty, vague, and mostly unreachable. 

Practical Ways to Improve Patient Comfort

Thankfully, there are some practical ways to improve your patients’ comfort. Here are a few proven methods: 

Reduce Exposure

Most people won’t enjoy spending weeks inside a fishbowl. If your patient rooms are highly visible from the outside, that lack of privacy infringes heavily on their comfort. To anxiety-prone patients, being stuck in these kinds of rooms can feel overwhelming. 

While you can’t change the design of your patient rooms, you can implement items like curtains or blinds to give your patients additional privacy. Additionally, talking to your patients about their feelings can help them open up and start a valuable discussion about their comfort needs. 

Use Private Rooms

Having to share a room with another sick person is not only uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous. If a snoring or talkative roommate keeps a patient from sleeping well, they aren’t going to recover quickly. For this reason, private rooms are rapidly becoming a staple rather than an exception.

If you can’t ensure a private room, consider investing in high-quality privacy curtains. These items can make a big difference.

Invest in Quality Linens and Gowns

If comfort is the goal, there’s no better place to invest than in the materials that will be constantly in contact with patients. The difference a scratchy blanket or warm comforter make in a good night’s sleep is substantial. Additionally, a comfortable and non-revealing gown will make patients less anxious and stressed. 

Encouraging good sleep and enabling consistent comfort could be game-changing factors in healing rates, patient turnover, and their remembered experience. 

Get Clean, Quality, Consistent Linens and Uniforms Through Medico

The importance of obtaining clean, comfortable, high-quality linens and uniforms through a trusted provider can’t be stressed enough. Your patients are always in contact with their linens and gowns. If those materials aren’t comfortable, that’s a problem. If they aren’t cleaned well, that could be a disaster. A job as important as providing top-notch linens to your medical facility shouldn’t be left to just anybody. 

Only a time-tested and trusted provider like Medico can provide the quality and satisfaction to keep things running smoothly. For more information, give us a call at (800) 464-6334 or visit our website: https://www.medicolinen.com/.

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