Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/459853
WVUH's laundry department also processes the hospital's isolation gowns, which were notoriously difficult to handle properly in central sterile. "We used to get them back, and some would be filled with holes," says Ms. Wilson, who sits on the hospital's infection control committee, which receives reports on how many gowns were sent out and how many were rejected and replaced. "There's now accountabili- ty for that process," says Ms. Wilson. At WVUH, if you work in the OR you must wear professionally laun- dered scrubs. That way the hospital is certain that items have been cleaned at the correct temperature and that parameters needed to kill microorganisms have been met. "You're protecting patients, staff and staff's families by having the service available," says Ms. Wilson. If you receive pushback from members of your surgical team inter- ested in buying scrubs of a particular color and preferred fit, Ms. Wilson suggests you put your best spin on the use of facility-supplied garments. "The service is a privilege," she explains. "You get to wear hospital scrubs. You don't have to buy them. You don't have to launder them. You don't have to take care of them." Whether you buy scrubs new or lease them from a uniform vendor, when partnering with a professional launderer you can make the invest- ment knowing the garments will be handled and cared for properly. Theft pre vention But no matter how well they're cleaned, keeping them from walking out of your facility on the backs of staff or surgeons looking for new pajamas or I'm a doctor! outfits to wear around town is a common dilemma at healthcare facilities. Daily scrub rations are provided to staff at Oro Valley Hospital from a dispensing unit, which tracks usage and alerts the supply company for a refill when the stock dips below 25% capacity. At WVUH, OR staff wear seal-blue scrubs, which are outsourced for professional laundering. A little more than a year ago, physicians, including resi- 1 1 7 February 2015 | O U T PAT I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T