MARCH 2016
Late News Xeros signs deal with New York City’s eLaundry.com MANCHESTER, N.H. — New York City-based eLaundry.com has signed a deal to add Xeros polymer bead cleaning laundry systems to its business, Xeros reports. The deal is reportedly in excess of $1 million. “Xeros has been a great investment for our business. Xeros’ green and sustainable laundry system enables us to dramatically reduce our water, energy and detergent usage while delivering exceptional cleaning results for our customers,” says Charles Sakkal, owner of eLaundry.com. To promote the new Xeros laundry services, according to the company, eLaundry.com will introduce Xeros as an ingredient brand in its storefront, on delivery vehicles and throughout the business. eLaundry.com provides on-demand laundry service to commercial customers and consumers in New York City, Xeros says. They include hotels, spas, salons, colleges and universities, health clubs and restaurants. eLaundry.com processes more than 3.6 million pounds of laundry per year, according to the company. Xeros says its laundry system replaces up to 80% of the water with 1.5 million polymer beads that gently massage textiles for ALN cleaning. Volume 42, Number 3
Biloxi VA Medical Center opens new textile processing facility Laundry services return to Gulf Coast VA 10 years after Hurricane Katrina BY MATT POE, EDITOR BILOXI, Miss. — The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) hosted an open house in late January to unveil its new Textile Processing Facility here. The facility located at the Biloxi VA Medical Center marks the first time since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the GCVHCS laundry facilities 10 years ago that the medical center is processing its own textiles, along with those from other facilities in the healthcare system and other military stations, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “We are very excited about our new state-of-the-art, stand-alone
textile care facility,” says Gabriele McAdory, chief of environmental management service for the GCVHCS. The new facility, which also houses dietetic services, has the capability to process 10 million pounds a year. “Our employees love this facility, and I am, as well as others, still in awe of its capability and operation,” says Anthony Gayden, laundry plant manager for the facility. In 2004, the GCVHCS was comprised of two campuses in Mississippi: Biloxi VA Medical Center and Gulfport VA Medical Center. The two campuses had been in operation since the 1930s, but by 2004, plans were in place to expand and combine the campuses as part of VA’s Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) program. Then, on Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastat-
Attendees at the Biloxi VA Medical Center Textile Processing Facility open house toured the delivery area and saw the clean/soil barrier. (Photos: Erik Bakko/Biloxi VA Medical Center)
ed the Gulf Coast, and a tidal surge destroyed the Gulfport VA Medical Center. The destruction included the laundry that processed millions of pounds of soiled goods for the hospital and military stations in the area.
The medical services were immediately transferred to the Biloxi site, which had only sustained minor damage. Laundry services had to be handled miles away. See BILOXI on Page 6
Infection control will change healthcare laundry BY NANCY JENKINS SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. — It’s the “hot-button” issue of the decade—superbugs and how to effectively fight and control outbreaks of infection in healthcare and hospitality environments. Specifically known by such names as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Carbapenemresistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Clostridium difficile (C. diff) or norovirus, these types of superbugs cost U.S. industry billions of dollars a year, not to mention the hardship on persons who contract such infections. Death and prolonged illness are common. Companies that provide linen
and uniform services have been implicated in the chain of infection more than once. While the problem has been typically linked to improper delivery or storage of textiles at the client location, rather than the laundry process itself, more and more launderers are proactively signing up for certification or accreditation to prove that their facilities follow the highest processing standards possible. Understanding how customers view the situation and how they are preparing to tackle the problem in the future are key for profitability in the 21st century. This article attempts to provide perspective on the issue of infection control in the healthcare arena and how clients
view its impact on future operations. THE BILLION-DOLLAR CHALLENGE
In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published The Direct Medical Costs of Healthcare-Associated Infections in U.S. Hospitals. At that time, the report estimated that the overall annual direct medical costs of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) to U.S. hospitals ranged from $28.4 billion to $33.8 billion [adjusting to 2007 dollars using the consumer price index (CPI) for all urban consumers] and $35.7 billion to $45 billion [adjusting to 2007 dollars using the CPI for inpatient hospital services]. Those are seri-
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ously big numbers. From the human perspective, according to the same report, more than 1.7 million patients will contract HAIs each year. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) translates that number to be one in 25 patients contracting an HAI each year. And most sobering, nearly 100,000 deaths result from HAIs annually. Both the CDC and HHS have declared battling the problem of HAIs a top priority. The CDC has redefined its standards for environmental services in healthcare to help minimize pathogen contamination. The new See INFECTION on Page 6
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Eric Frederick looks at the power of a smile and a “Good morning.”
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