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! 

The post The Dangers of Wearing Scrubs in Public appeared first on Medico Healthcare Linen Service.

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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Provide an Escape from Holiday Fatigue 

Though work has its own stressors, it can also be an escape from the demands of the holiday season. No family can argue obligations with a medical professional who’s due for a shift at the hospital! 

Regardless of the source of your employee’s fatigue, there’s only so much you can do to help. Their place of employment can either generate stress or provide an escape from it. 

Here are some tips to cultivate an escape from the “holicraze”:  

Do Away with Gift Giving

Mandated inter-office gift exchanges are an unnecessary source of stress for most people who have to participate. You can’t stop the holiday enthusiast from giving to who they want, but you don’t have to require everybody do the same. Voluntarily given gifts are far more appreciated and in-line with the holiday spirit anyways. 

The last thing the stressed-out family person needs is more presents to budget and buy for. Making it more difficult is the time that this project requires. Buying a gift, especially for someone you don’t know well, is tricky and thought-involved. 

Encourage Conversation with Patients

Encouraging your employees to engage more deeply with their patients about their holiday stressors, histories, or traditions is beneficial. It will do two things: boost patient morale and lessen the stress of your workers. 

Patients will benefit from knowing that they’re not invisible in your hospital’s system. A daily conversation with an employee beyond their medical treatments or status will infuse spirit where it’s needed. 

Your employees can alleviate holiday stress by talking about them with somebody who might be interested. Having conversations about what they’re going through, even if in passing, will add some positive perspective. 

Prevent Illness

Before the rush, make sure sanitizing stations are full and clean-handling procedures are reviewed. Nothing takes the wind out of an already ragged sail like a bad cold. Not only will sickness be personally detrimental, but it could also present a danger to your patients. 

Ensure Employee Comfort and Safety

High-quality uniforms and materials that protect and comfort can make the difference between a pleasant and stressful shift. Your employees should have properly fitting, water-resistant scrubs, coats, and uniforms for any possible job. The best way to ensure your supply of comfortable, safe uniforms is to rent them from a reliable, service-oriented provider. 

Medico is Your Holiday-Ready Medical Linen and Uniform Supply

If you’re looking for quality materials, top-notch service, and industry expertise, then Medico Healthcare Linen Services is your best option. You don’t need medical linen and uniform stress on top of the holiday stress. Let Medico sort out your linen and uniform issues. Give us a call at (800) 464-6334. You can also visit our website, or contact us for a free quote! 

The post How to Prevent Employee Fatigue During the Holidays appeared first on Medico Healthcare Linen Service.

Though only 1% of needle injuries that happen every year nationwide occur in laundry facilities, that’s still between 1,250 to 1,700 incidents annually. HIV and Hepatitis top the list of likely transmissions during an accident, so it’s best to be as cautious and prepared as possible.

Sharps Prevention

Though unintentional, sharps can show up in medical laundry. Injuries from sharps left in soiled linens are a leading cause of injury in the medical laundry industry. Prevention training is vital to limit your employees’ exposure to infectious diseases. 

Here is how you can protect your staff:

Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

There’s no substitute for the basics. PPE in your medical laundry facility should take the form of gloves, gowns, lab coats, face shields or masks. This is a necessity in the soiled side, or intake part of your business, but might be extended to the “clean side” if the need arises.

Have No-Touch Methods of Sharp Removal

The soil side of your linen laundry facility is the most at risk for sharps exposure. Employees are tasked with removing them when found, and need to do so safely. 

Here are two safe methods of sharp removal:

• Metal on Metal: Use grasping devices when pulling sharps from linen or uniforms. Never use an ungloved hand. 

• Shake and Separate: Though shaking of soiled linen isn’t usually recommended, if a sharp is present and unyielding to grasping efforts, gently shaking the attached linen will loosen the sharp.

Have Sharp Containers Available 

Sharps can appear at any time, and you need to have a place to dispose of them. Sharps containers are puncture-proof, water-tight, and easily identifiable. 

Cultivate a Safety Culture

Training and educating your employees is essential in order to keep them safe. The CDC has suggestions for influencing employee attitudes and behavior permanently. 

1. Make visible safety-related statements. 

Safety comes first, and visual reminders throughout your facility will serve as constant reminders.

• Prioritize safety committees. It’s easy to brush off groups responsible for overseeing safety protocols if they have no bite. Giving authority or integrating leadership into the safety committee will generate more concern over their activities and conclusions. 
• Establish specific action plans. Having observable protocols and procedures in place for when something does go wrong for specific departments makes your safety efforts more effective. 

2. Involve personnel from various departments.

One department pushing its will onto others will find resentment instead of adherence for their efforts. Including members from all sectors of your business will make the effort more integrated and effective.

3. Encourage reporting and documentation of found sharps.

Your employees should document when they encounter a sharp. There are many reasons for this documentation, and your employee should know that these efforts are to ultimately safeguard them from future exposure. Some reasons include: 

• Source Tracing. If there is a timing or linen similarity to the presence of sharps, then it might not take much to piece together which department is responsible. 
• Company Safety. Any hazardous material or situation needs to be documented and addressed. With enough information, decisions can be made as to how to best deal with the issues.

Medico Is Your Safe, Professional Medical Linen Service

If you’re looking for a reliable medical linen service with the experience and industry know-how to deliver clean, sharp-free linens every time, trust Medico Linen Service.

Between our HLAC certification and our clean green  laundry process, there’s no question as to whether you’re making the right choice. Above all, we strive for your total satisfaction. Call us today at 800.464.6334 and ask about a free quote.

The post How to Keep Sharps Out of Your Medical Linen appeared first on Medico Healthcare Linen Service.

If this is the case, your employees and patients are at an increased risk of slips and falls, infection, and burnout. Consider the following reasons to install clean and secure mats in your medical facility:

Safety

Because cleanliness and easy mobility is vital for any hospital or clinic, its floors are usually smooth. Non-grouted, untextured floors allow the wheels of beds, carts, and equipment to easily and safely move from location to location without jostling or struggle. It also allows for simple and effective cleaning of floors with no need of scrubbing grouting or other joining substances between tiles. 

An unfortunate cost of this smoothness is the increased likelihood of slip and fall accidents. 

With hundreds of different substances that can end up on the floor of a hospital or clinic at any time, having traction with quality, clean mats in areas that need it can save you and your staff injuries and headaches. 

Though a bare floor is dangerous, old, dirty, or cheap mats can present more problems than solutions. Even after vacuuming, old mats are easily overwhelmed by foot traffic and their tamped-down fibers don’t prevent dirt from reaching your floor. Cheap mats can become a dangerous tripping hazard if they start to crack and curl.

High traffic, spill/wetness volatile areas include: 

• Entrances
• Lobbies
• Kitchens
• Loading Docks
• Patient Intakes

Cleanliness

Cleanliness is a fundamental quality in efficient healing. If the environment your patients are to get better in has invisible dangers floating and sticking around, they’ll be sicker longer. This means more costs, more time, and a dwindling of your reputation as an efficient healthcare facility. 

Take control of your public standing by controlling the dirt and microbes that try to get into your clinic or hospital. Specialized mats can help. 

• Scraper Mats placed outside and inside building entrances will trap and hold dirt and debris. The microbe-laden gunk is kept inside the mat until it’s cleaned or replaced. 
• Entrance Mats will hold and hide dirt tracked in beyond scraper mats and keep unsightly smudges from appearing on your floor. 
• Absorbent Pads/Mats specialize in retaining and liquid and can be especially useful in the O.R. and treatment rooms.

Burnout (Prevent Exhaustion) 

With doctors and surgeons experiencing burnout at startling rates, it’s never been more important to keep them feeling as good for as long as possible. A way to help is to take pressure off their joints and muscle groups affected by all-day standing with anti-fatigue mats. Even nurses and attendants can benefit from soft hospital floor mats placed at strategic locations where they can get take a breather from the hustle and bustle of their demanding jobs.

Medico is Here to Help 

Medical facilities aren’t the place to mess around with any potential danger. Slippery substances, malicious microbes, and extreme exhaustion are constant threats. Let Medico Professional Linen Service stay on top of them for you with the right stability, absorbent, and anti-fatigue mats. Call us today at (800) 464-6334 to learn more about our hassle-free mat services. 

The post 3 Reasons Why Your Medical Facility Needs Floor Mats appeared first on Medico Healthcare Linen Service.

The thing is, all of that only works if you’re working with a medical linen service company that fulfills their promises. Plenty of medical linen providers make claims that they can’t follow through on just to sign a new client, then leave them to suffer from poor customer service, missed or incorrect deliveries, and low-quality products.

At Medico, we place a high value on providing excellent services. We wouldn’t have succeeded in this business for more than 80 years if we weren’t meeting and exceeding our client’s expectations. We call it the Medico Difference. Here’s what that means:

1. Textile Excellence

Medical linens and uniforms need to be tough and durable – able to withstand the intense washing and disinfecting process that is needed to fully remove all blood, bodily fluids and bacteria. That’s why we only provide high-quality products for rental. We use high-performance fabrics and sturdy construction to ensure that you get the most out of each lab coat, sheet, and towel. Your uniforms and linens will last longer and hold up better throughout the day when you rent from Medico Professional Linen Service. 

2. Efficient Services

Your medical facility runs on a tight schedule, so your linens should also. Without a linen service company that delivers and picks up your linens and uniforms when they say they will, you could be left without crucial items on any given day. In the medical industry, that’s simply unacceptable. 

At Medico, we work hard to provide your facility with all of the items you need in a timely manner. After all, the point of a medical linen service is to remove stress and responsibility, not add to it.

3. Responsiveness

Finally, responsive customer service is integral to the Medico Difference. It might sound overly simple and even old fashioned, but we value a tradition of honest and sincere customer service. Our customers return to experience the customer care that we provide. Honest communication is the foundation of any good partnership. Whenever you have an issue with our customer service or even just a question about the way we do things, just pick up the phone and call us! We will always do our best to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible. 

Contact Us Today to Experience the Medico Difference

Want to test us out for yourself? We invite you to experience the Medico Difference. Give us a call today at 800-464-6334 or fill out our online contact form to learn more about our products and services.

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