HLAC

AT A GLANCE HEALTHCARE LAUNDRY ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (HLAC) WHAT: A nonprofit organization that inspects and accredits laundries that process reusable textiles for hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities. WHERE: Plainfield, Illinois WEBSITE: www.hlacnet.org L BASES RY BEST PRACTICES OCESSING I nitiatives focused on improved quality and sustainability of products and services are top of mind in 2020, as healthcare institutions redouble their efforts to reduce healthcare- acquired infections (HAIs), those infections that patients get while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions. Once an abstract issue among the public, HAIs have made headlines in the media over the personal stories of families everywhere who tell of life- threatening Clostridium difficile (C diff ) infections picked up during a hospital stay, or of post- operative infections caused by Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), or of antibiotic overuse that has led to bacteria (and subsequent infections) that are harder to treat – the list goes on. Within this scenario, it should be noted that improved quality and sustainability should not be viewed as mutually exclusive. Industry associations and organizations are actively supporting these two healthcare initiatives. BY BRADLEY J. BUSHMAN, HLAC IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT