Congratulations to Newly Accredited Laundries!
The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) has announced that the following laundries have achieved accreditation:
· North Texas Healthcare Laundry, Grand Prarie, TX
· Sodexo Textile Services, Compton, CA
· Commercial Linen Exchange, Phoenix, AZ
· Metro Park Laundry, Stockton, CA
· Crothall Laundry Services, Memphis, TN.
To date, 58 healthcare laundries have achieved accreditation.
HLAC's mission is to publish high standards for laundering healthcare
textiles, and to provide an inspection and accreditation process that
recognizes those laundries that meet these high standards.
The primary benefit of accreditation is that an independent third
party has inspected your facility and found that it meets or exceeds
the highest standards for processing healthcare textiles.
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The
Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council is an independent organization
committed to supporting the highest industry standards in processing
healthcare textiles. Download the standards at www.hlacnet.org or
call Kathy Tinker at
708-790-1749 for more information on how you can join the growing ranks of accredited laundries in the United States.
21400 English Drive
Frankfort, IL 60423
email: kathytinker@sbcglobal.net |
Quick Links
Our Website
Check out the expanded HLAC website featuring:
- Industry articles,
- Links to accredited
laundry websites,
- Accredited "laundry
finder" feature.
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Greetings!
This quarterly enewsletter is for professionals
interested in meeting the highest standards possible in processing
healthcare laundry. You work with or own one of the growing number of
accredited healthcare laundries in the nation...or you aspire to.
This newsletter is meant to inform and educate those who serve the healthcare industry.
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HLAC Announces 2009 Board of Directors
  
The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) has announced its 2009 Board of Directors.
HLAC's officers for 2009 are Chairperson Judy Reino, Vice Chairperson Patti Costello and Secretary/Treasurer Rick Kislia. The HLAC board of directors includes: Nancy Bjerke, Brad Bushman, Linda Fairbanks, Bob Pfeifer, Sandra Hensley, Ed McCauley, Woody Ostrow, Lynne Sehulster, PhD, M(ASCP), and David Stern. New to the board are (above, l to r) McCauley, Bushman and Hensley.
"We have an excellent board of directors and I look forward to growing HLAC with their assistance," says Chairperson Reino of Reino Linen, Gibsonburg, Ohio. "Reino Linen was the first laundry to become accredited back in April 2006 and will be the first laundry to seek re-accreditation in 2009.
"We believe accreditation will become an industry standard for healthcare laundries," says Reino. "Seeking accreditation requires some work, but if you form a team, follow HLAC's guidelines and tackle the process in a logical way, you can pass the inspection. It's all about documenting safety, training and processing procedures.
"If we want to increase the use of reusable textiles and grow our businesses, it's important to increase the professionalism of what we do," she says.
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Visit HLAC at Clean '09, Attend Education Session
 Clean '09 is set for June 18-21 in New Orleans and will be here before you know it. So mark your calendar now for HLAC's education session on, "Healthcare Laundry Accreditation: Why and How," Friday, June 19,
8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Attendees will learn why HLAC was formed, how its standards for healthcare
textile processing were developed, and how accreditation benefits
laundries and their customers nationwide. In addition, attendees will gain tips on how to prepare for inspection and how to market accreditation to prospects and customers.
HLAC is also exhibiting at the Clean Show (Booth
#1228) at the Morial Convention Center in New
Orleans. We hope to see you there!
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Meet New HLAC Inspector Richard Phelon
Joining HLAC as a new inspector is Richard Phelon. Phelon is currently vice president of operations for Gulf Coast Laundry Services in Gulf Coast, Miss., where much of his work has involved rebuilding the business in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Prior to Gulf Coast Laundry, Phelon spent 12 years at Hospital Linen Systems (HLS) in Wheeling, Ill., where he began as director of engineering and went on to serve as interim general manager, vice president of engineering, and executive vice president.
While with HLS, Phelon oversaw the design and construction of a new laundry facility with a two-shift capacity of 84,000,000 pounds per year. In addition, he designed and oversaw building of a 23,000 sq. ft. sterile recovery area within new facility.
Phelon's industry experience is vast and includes positions with Mercury Services, Service Control Corporation (SCC), Initial USA and Mirage Resorts before he joined HLS in the Chicago area. To read a complete bio on Phelon, log on to the HLAC website at www.hlacnet.org.
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The Inspector's Corner: Standard 2.3.2.1
Tips to help you understand HLAC standards
Standard 2.3.2.1 states that "Environmental surfaces (i.e., floors, walls, ceilings, vents and equipment) shall be subjected to periodic blow-down processes to minimize the build-up of dust and lint."
There are two things an HLAC inspector will look for to ensure the facility meets the standard. First, the inspector will visually observe the facility to see that it is free of any built-up amounts of dust or lint. This inspection will focus on equipment as well as the overall plant; be prepared to remove equipment back panels so the inspector can view inside. In addition, let equipment suppliers know you are preparing for an inspection so they can help with any needed equipment maintenance before inspection day.
Second, the inspector will review the facility cleaning schedules to ensure that the blow down and frequency is documented as part of the maintenance schedule followed by the facility.
Do you have a question about a specific HLAC Standard? If so, just send it to kathytinker@sbcglobal.net.
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