TRSA, Healthcare Operators Analyze Key Issues

A group of 25 healthcare executives ranging from single-plant operators to regional, national and international companies gathered recently in East Brunswick, NJ, for a roundtable discussion with TRSA executives immediately following TRSA’s Nov. 17-18 Healthcare Conference.

The meeting, which took place in the Hilton Hotel & Executive Center, drew a broad base of executives, including several Canadian companies as well as laundries operating from New York to California, Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania and others.

“These executives understand that while healthcare offers significant growth potential, it also poses a range of challenges,” said TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci. “The roundtable gave everyone an opportunity to exchange ideas that can lead to solutions.”

Speaking of which, a recent example of the benefits that this program provides is TRSA’s Linen Loss Task Force. This group of TRSA members conducted research that determined that linen lost was costing healthcare providers roughly $840 million per year. The task force also spearheaded the development of an animated video in 2014 to educate healthcare providers on the need to avoid linen losses. The idea for taking action on this issue grew out of a similar roundtable meeting of TRSA member healthcare operators.

The Nov. 18 roundtable kicked off with a briefing by TRSA Vice President of Government Relations Kevin Schwalb. He outlined a number of policy issues now before federal and state agencies that could impact the textile services industry both nationally and at the state level.   

Among other issues that Schwalb is responding to is a recent ruling by the National Labor Relations Board in the Browning-Ferris case that would reclassify many industry contractors as “joint employees” in the view of the federal government. This could complicate management efforts by companies that employ temporary workers in their plants, he said. Under this ruling, those contractors would now qualify for the same pay, benefits and other conditions as regular employees. Another effect of the ruling is that laundries that post staff members to hospitals or other institutions to aid in linen distribution could find that these employees now come under the healthcare provider’s workplace standards. TRSA and other business groups have filed comments critical of the rule. However, Schwalb said little is likely to change until a new administration takes charge early in 2017.

Other issues Schwalb cited included an extensive outreach effort by the industry to stop or significantly alter a bill now before the New York City Council that would require laundries serving city hospitals, hotels and other organizations in New York’s five boroughs to obtain city licenses and undergo inspections by city health officials. TRSA and many New York-area operators believe the proposal is both unwieldy and unnecessary, given the extensive safety requirements that laundries already must meet under federal and state regulations. Despite testimony and numerous face-to-face meetings between TRSA, operators and city officials, the bill remains on the Council’s agenda.

Schwalb did note one recent victory for the industry. In Missouri, legislators succeeded in overriding a veto cast by Gov. Jay Nixon (D) on a bill that will now allow commercial laundries in the state that launder at least 500 lbs. per hour and 60,000 lbs. per week to claim sales-tax benefits on equipment, chemicals and other goods used in the processing of textiles. Early estimates indicate that this measure could save “Show Me State” laundry operators from $20,000-$30,000 per year.  

Other issues discussed during the roundtable meeting included:

• Strategies for promoting greater use of reusable textiles in hospital operating rooms, which in recent years have turned increasingly to costlier and less-environmentally friendly disposable goods.
• A proposal to have TRSA take the lead in developing generic job descriptions and standards for laundry employees. Ricci said TRSA would explore the proposal.
• A discussion of a new TRSA video titled, Handling Soiled Linen in a Healthcare Environment. The video is designed to help laundries educate their customers on the proper handling of soiled goods in order to encourage safe processing, while reducing the disposal of linens that laundries can process safely and return to service. TRSA member operators may customize the video, which can be posted online or distributed via disk, with their logo and contact information included. Ricci thanked the members of the Healthcare Committee who contributed time and effort to develop this video, which will help the industry enhance safety and extend linen life. The video will be available shortly to members.
• The challenge posed by nonprofit groups such as Goodwill Industries or state prisons that are encroaching on for-profit laundries servicing healthcare providers. One roundtable attendee affected by a Goodwill Laundry in his area said his best defense is to provide a better service and hope that in the long run, hospitals will realize that they’re better off partnering with a for-profit laundry that offers better quality and enhanced laundry expertise. 
   

The roundtable participants included:

• Greg Anderson, Campus Laundry
• Randy Bartsch, Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service Corp.
• Eric Begin, Booth Centennial Healthcare Linen Service
• Jeff Berstein, ImageFirst
• Robert Brill, Medico Professional Linen Service
• Bruce Feldman, Economy Linen & Towel Service
• Michael Kahan, Clean Tex Services
• Dan Leavy, Emerald Textiles
• Brook Logan, Emerald Textiles
• Christian Luneburg, Florida Linen Services LLC
• Joseph Mastin, Medi-Clean Healthcare Laundry Service LLC
• Leonard McCullough, Linen King LLC
• Linda McCurdy, K-Bro Linen Systems
• Dan Medley, Shasta Linen Supply Inc.
• Michael Papadakis, Booth Centennial Healthcare Linen Services
• Brian Polatsek, EcoBrite Linen
• Michael Potack, Unitex Textile Rental Services
• Josh Ramirez, Medico Professional Linen Service
• Bushan Raval, Mayflower Textile Services Co. 
• Mark Spence, Faultless Laundry Co.
• David Stern, Paris Cos.
• Mark Sussman, Medi-Clean Healthcare Laundry Service LLC
• Douglas Waldman, Superior Linen Service
• Oswald Wyatt, AmeriPride Services Inc.
• Jacob Zahler, Clean Tex Services