sorting , washing , and handling of soiled textiles . By doing so , they can ensure the well-being of patients , protect the safety of their staff , and maintain the highest standards of hygiene in healthcare settings .
Gregory Gicewicz is distinguished in the laundry industry as an advocate for increasing awareness of the significant role that having high standards in the processing of healthcare laundry plays in broader infection prevention strategy . He is president / CEO of Compliance Shark , a business compliance platform . Gicewicz is past-president of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council ( HLAC ), whose mission is to accredit laundries processing healthcare textiles based on the highest standards for patient safety and infection prevention .
References :
1 . Author ’ s own analysis .
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3 . Anderson J and Dancer , S . J . ( 2008 ). Role of hospital surfaces in the transmission of emerging health care-associated pathogens : norovirus , Clostridium difficile , and Acinetobacter species . American Journal of Infection Control , 36 ( 5 ), S21-S25 .
4 . Taylor J and White , E . ( 2019 ). A review of the risks and disease transmission associated with laundered textiles in healthcare . J Applied Microbiology , 127 ( 6 ), 1481-1494 .
5 . Peters C and Völlm A . ( 2019 ). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ) in healthcare settings . StatPearls Publishing .
6 . Otter JA , et al . ( 2016 ). Transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria within the hospital environment : The dirty hospital hypothesis . Int J Environ Research Pub Health , 13 ( 1 ), 10 .
7 . Boucher HW , et al . ( 2009 ). Bad bugs , no drugs : No ESKAPE ! An update from the Infectious Diseases Society of America . Clin Infect Dis , 48 ( 1 ), 1-12 .
8 . Muscarella LF . ( 2004 ). Towel and laundry service effectiveness and cleanliness of hospital textiles : Recent findings . Infectious Disease Management and Clinical Outcomes , 4 ( 4 ), 329-331 .
9 . Reynolds KA , et al . ( 2017 ). The role of healthcare apparel and other healthcare textiles in the transmission of pathogens : A review of the literature . J Infect Prevent , 18 ( 4 ), 160-177 .
10 . Rutala WA and Weber DJ . ( 2008 ). Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee ( HICPAC ). Guideline for disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities .
11 . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). ( 2019 ). Guideline for hand hygiene in healthcare settings .
12 . Dancer SJ . ( 2014 ). Controlling hospital-acquired infection : Focus on the role of the environment and new technologies for decontamination . Clin Micro Rev , 27 ( 4 ), 665-690 .
13 . Mitchell A , et al . ( 2015 ). Cross-transmission of nosocomial pathogens in an adult intensive care unit : Incidence and risk factors . J Hosp Infect , 91 ( 1 ), 57-62 .
14 . Ajala OO and Mohammed S . ( 2014 ). Occupational hazards and safety measures amongst the laundry workers in Lagos State , Nigeria . J Comm Med Primary Healthcare , 26 ( 1 ), 18-29 .
15 . Vandenplas O , et al . ( 2009 ). Occupational hazards in hospitals . Current
Opinion in Critical Care , 15 ( 2 ), 158-166 . 16 . Zenz C , et al . ( 2011 ). Occupational medicine . CRC Press . 17 . Lockhart SL , et al . ( 2011 ). Musculoskeletal pain in the laundry workers :
Associations with work-related factors . Workplace Health & Safety , 59 ( 3 ), 122-129 . 18 . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). ( 2008 ). Guidelines for infection control in healthcare personnel . 19 . Peters C and Völlm A . ( 2019 ). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
( MRSA ) in healthcare settings . StatPearls Publishing . 20 . Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services . ( 2021 ). CMS Manual System . Pub .
100-07 State Operations Provider Certification . 21 . Zimring CM , et al . ( 2013 ). The role of the physical environment in hospitals .
In The healthcare quality book ( 3rd ed ., pp . 239-263 ). Health Administration Press . 22 . Taylor J and White E . ( 2019 ). A review of the risks and disease transmission associated with laundered textiles in healthcare . J App Micro , 127 ( 6 ), 1481-1494 .
SUBMISSIONS WANTED
Healthcare Hygiene magazine invites infection prevention stakeholders from all aspects of prevention and control ( including IP / healthcare epidemiology , healthcare value analysis , quality / safety / risk management , surgical services , sterile processing , environmental services , biomedical engineering and scientific research ) to submit sciencedriven , best practice-based articles for consideration for publication . Please , no public relations pitches or articles with commercial overtones . Send your queries to Kelly Pyrek at : kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine . com
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