Company Blog
MEDtegrity Healthcare Linen Focuses on Prevention
Faultless Healthcare Linen Discusses Exposure Prevention
Not Just for Medical Facilities
Since May of 2009, in order to receive reimbursement for medical claims from Medicare and Medicaid, Ambulatory Surgery Centers have been required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to enlist an individual to direct and control their infection control programs. According to Todd Neil in MedPage Today, “Ambulatory surgical centers may have higher infection rates.” It seems that surgery centers are more prone to infection than other medical facilities. Neil states that the most common problems come from the following sources:
- Handling and cleaning of blood glucose monitoring equipment
- Injection safety and medication handling
- Reprocessing of surgical equipment
However, during a recent audit for one of MEDtegrity’s member clients, Faultless Healthcare Linen stepped up to document the steps they take in order to eliminate or minimize the exposure to bloodborne pathogens. All of those possible issues that can affect surgery centers can travel to any medical laundry processing plant, and to plant employees through the transfer of soiled healthcare linens. Like all of MEDtegrity’s member companies, Faultless documented their procedures to show the care and due diligence initiated to eradicate the exposure of bloodborne pathogens or other potentially infection materials throughout their plants.
This documentation, which is provided by the healthcare linen company, is critical for surgery centers in order to comply with the CMS requirements, if they wish to continue to receive reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. The documentation should be used as part of their required prevention programs.
As in any healthcare linen facility, MEDtegrity member companies anticipate the presence of blood and other potentially infection materials in soiled textiles. Our members prevention programs ensures that our employees reasonably anticipate these materials and act accordingly to protect themselves, the healthcare providers, and in the end the patient. Not only is MEDtegrity concerned about their employees, but in also producing a clean and soil free uniform for healthcare workers at each facility.
At MEDtegrity, our reputation is based on our ability to produce quality healthcare linens for our customers. The healthcare workers that don our uniforms every day must feel confident that they are wearing a uniform that is safe and contaminate free. Our employees feel that same pride when we deliver any healthcare textile—whether it is uniforms, patient gowns, blankets or sheets. The same care is invested into all the textiles that we clean. Our employees receive training to help them understand the occupational exposure and the procedures that are designed to keep everyone safe. Not only do they receive training when they are hired, but also annually and when modifications of tasks or procedures are needed.
Faultless Healthcare Linen Plant Managers, Robert Parker in St. Louis and Tim Higdon in Kansas City, conduct or initiate the training as needed. Employees are encouraged to interact during the training by asking questions and by interacting with the trainer during the session. Like all of our members, Faultless Healthcare Linen takes the appropriate steps to ensure that their plants are compliant with OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard 29 CFR 1910,1030 as well as making sure that all parts of their plants have warning signs or are color coded to identify containers of contaminated laundry.
MEDtegrity understands the risk that our employees take every day to ensure the healthcare facilities we service are kept safe, and receive linens and uniforms that are free from any pathogens. Like MEDtegrity, Faultless Healthcare Linen cares about this issue greatly, and developed a policy to help increase awareness when processing healthcare linens.
If your healthcare linen facility is unable to deliver a similar policy to you, it may be time to look into a new provider. MEDtegrity would love the opportunity to talk to you!
