RICHMOND, Va. — Sylvia Small, production leader at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center (VAMC), knows laundry. She has, for the last 25 years, led a team of almost 40 employees responsible for washing, drying, folding and sorting linens and other items for the VAMC and other community partners.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that it has contracted with Western State Design, Hayward, Calif., for new laundry equipment for the medical center. The $7.8 million contract will provide a steamless system—the latest in design and first of its kind for a VA medical center—resulting in a more efficient, and energy-saving laundry, the VA says.
The Richmond VAMC on-premise laundry stays busy serving the medical center, Hampton VAMC, Ft. Lee, Fayetteville VAMC, Camp Perry, Ft. Eustis, and Langley Air Force Base. The new equipment will greatly enhance the laundry’s capacity and offer the medical center and community partners the opportunity for additional services, the VA says.
More than 4 million pounds of laundry is processed annually through the Richmond facility. Equipment has been maintained but as newer technologies became available, renovations became necessary.
Small has seen the increase in community partners utilizing the VAMC’s laundry service since starting there in 1987 and says she is looking forward to the new equipment. The features are expected to be installed, tested and in use by this fall.
“Our team is looking forward to the new laundry equipment that will allow us to produce even more,” she says.
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