FAIRWAY, Kan. – Sodexo (formerly Sodexho) Laundry Services and the Laundry Services Division of Crothall Services Group have each signed 12 of their plants for accreditation by the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC), and the increasing interest in its program now has the HLAC looking at adding surgical pack room inspections.
“We’re thrilled to have Sodexo and Crothall participate in our voluntary program,” says Judy Reino of Reino Linen, Gibsonburg, Ohio, and new chairperson for HLAC. “These two companies stepping forward with the largest number of laundries to sign to date sends a clear message that volunteering your plant for independent accreditation is the right decision.”
Two Sodexo plants have already received accreditation, and the company plans to have the remaining 10 inspected by the end of this year.
“Accreditation provides our customers and the communities in which we operate independent validation that we adhere to the highest standards of safety and cleanliness,” says Emeka Okeani, president of Sodexo Laundry Services.
Two Crothall-managed facilities have also been inspected and received accreditation, with the remaining 10 preparing for inspection. Crothall plans to continue the process until all of its plants have been certified.
“Although numerous regulatory agencies do make recommendations and enforce standards, the HLAC accreditation process is thorough and all-encompassing,” says Michael Bailey, Crothall Laundry senior vice president. “We look forward to having all of our facilities complete the rigorous process and becoming fully accredited.”
Aside from the Sodexo and Crothall plants, HLAC also has 30-40 other laundries in the queue for accreditation that are not quite ready to receive inspection.
HLAC publishes high standards for laundering healthcare textiles, and offers an inspection and accreditation process that recognizes those laundries that meet HLAC’s standards.
“Signing on Sodexo and Crothall proves that the interest in accreditation is already there,” says Reino. “It’s given us huge momentum. For instance, we’re now looking into adding surgical pack room inspections (currently not included in HLAC standards) to our plan by the close of the year.”
HLAC is also reviewing current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards to ensure that HLAC’s accreditation reflects the most up-to-date regulations and recommendations.
In other news, HLAC’s board continues its search for a new executive director. Chris Isley left the organization in January after serving for three years.
“Our management and financial system is now mainly a turnkey operation,” says Reino. “We’re hoping to find someone who will concentrate more on networking and representing HLAC to the public.”
The board hopes to complete its search in the next few months.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].