LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As industry struggles to manage costs, provide quality and sustain growth, it must continue to evolve. Its aspiration is to preserve the principles that made it strong, continuously examine new opportunities to improve, and form a clear strategic plan.
This transition, or segue, is a road map to the future, says the Association for Linen Management (ALM). Thus, the theme of its annual conference on June 9-13 will be Successful Segues...A Road Map to a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) Transition.
Two pre-conference events are on the agenda at Louisville’s Seelbach Hilton Hotel. A June 9 seminar will feature an in-depth review of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) bloodborne pathogen regulations and their requirements. On June 10, Carl Rau from Standard Textile Co. will present What to Expect from a Quality Laundry Processor.
The June 11-12 agenda includes a variety of general educational sessions and breakouts.
Linda Homan, Ecolab, will present the June 11 keynote, Laundry Infection Prevention, and answer these questions: When addressing an infection preventionist’s concerns, or when reviewing policies and procedures that impact laundry processing, what are the facts on infections? Why don’t MRSA patients’ linen require special handling or bagging separately?
The June 12 keynote address, The End-User Drives the Train, will be presented by Andi Hooper, RN, director of emergency services for Wellmont Health Systems. Hooper will examine the impact of linen utilization on a hospital’s bottom line and how savings can be achieved while patient care remains a priority.
Some of the breakout sessions to run concurrently during the two days will include:Quality Indicators for Sterile Linen — This program presented by Cindy Molko, CLLM, RLLD, Mayo Clinic, will examine industry standards that are key to processing textiles used in surgical procedures, as well as sterile pack-room guidelines.Contaminating Clean Textiles — Quality laundry services produce hygienically clean textiles, yet concerns seem to be growing about how to ensure that the textiles that patients receive continue to be clean. Ecolab’s Homan examines the methods to use, what The Joint Commission is looking for, and the steps to take to maintain hygiene.Lean Six Sigma in Laundry Applications — Lean Six Sigma is designed to reduce waste and speed up production by focusing on improving quality and reducing rework. Ed Kwasnick of Turn-Key Industrial Engineering Services will present a two-part session to identify the fundamentals and methodology and its application to the laundry industry.NFPA — Hospital Safety Requirements Beyond OSHA — The National Fire Protection Association’s Life Safety codes are accepted by OSHA, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and healthcare accrediting bodies. Andrew Anderson, Hardin Memorial Hospital safety director, will discuss the key safety issues related to linen collection and distribution for healthcare facilities.Developing Quality Measures for Healthcare Laundries — This will be a report on ALM’s newly developed programs to measure quality outcomes related to healthcare linen processing.Healthcare Bedding’s Role in Preventing Pressure Ulcers — Carol Stamas, RN, will identify the causes of pressure ulcers and discuss how linen managers are partnering with nurses to reduce or eliminate this problem.OSHA on the Doorstep: Using JHA — It’s a new administration and a new approach from OSHA, according to Dr. Michael Schumann, a professor at Eastern Kentucky University. Attendees will learn how to use OSHA’s job-hazard analysis to determine areas to focus upon to ensure a safe workplace.TJC and Laundry Compliance — The Joint Commission and many state public health authorities now require hospitals to assess their commercial laundry processors for compliance with applicable standards and practice requirements. Linda Fairbanks, ALM’s director of academic affairs, will share what is required and discuss the assessment tools that are available.Evaluating Your Emergency Preparedness Plan — Laundry managers develop many emergency plans, but if they aren’t tested, who knows if they work? Paul Jewison, Textile Care Services, will moderate a panel of laundry managers and administrators in discussing successes and failures.
The conference will also include networking opportunities, such as a golf outing, a vendor’s fair and welcome reception, and the association’s annual awards banquet.
Attendees wishing to stay at the Seelbach Hilton can receive a special nightly room rate of $125 by mentioning ALM, but reservations should be made by May 18.
Discounted conference registration ends May 15. After that date, the cost for the full conference registration will increase by $125, the cost for a single-day registration by $75. There are separate fees to attend the pre-conference seminars on June 9 or 10.
ALM calls itself the “premier educational source for people and organizations that purchase, process, distribute, and manage the use of linens and other textile products.”
To learn more about the ALM conference or to find out how to register, visit the association’s website at www.almnet.org or phone 800-669-0863.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].