As the laundry conduit for the world’s largest medical complex, the Texas Medical Center Hospital Laundry (TMCHL) Co-op Association in Houston is now busier than ever. Three years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the hospitals to curtail services that led to a sharp decrease in patients and a steep drop in laundry volume. With the health crisis officially over and a new management team in place, the co-op has successfully turned the corner and is now achieving production levels above pre-pandemic levels.

ImageFIRST, King of Prussia, PA, recently acquired Ames Linen Service, Cortland, NY, according to local media reports. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

TRSA certification staff recently promoted Clean Green-certified linen, uniform and facility services companies at CleanMed, the premier national conference for leaders in healthcare sustainability. The Pittsburgh event put Clean Green providers in the same league as other climate-smart innovators, such as those who run “green” operating rooms, supply renewable-energy infrastructure and more. It was a rare opportunity to position the industry at the forefront of promoting environmentally responsible healthcare.

New York State Assembly Member Amanda Septimo (D-84th District) last week introduced AB 6995. The legislation would amend the New York public health law, and require healthcare facilities to maintain a 50% operating threshold of certain reusable healthcare protective textiles in their inventory. New York State Sen. Cordell Cleare (D-30th District) introduced the New York State Senate companion bill.

The Textile Services Association (TSA-UK) is hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 27, at 2:15 p.m. CEST (8:15 a.m. EDT) titled “Building a Global Hygiene Protocol and Potential Future Challenges.” During the hour-long webinar, Professor Katie Laird from De Montfort University will present the results of a research project primarily funded by TRSA, TSA-UK and ETSA.

TRSA recently launched a customer/consumer-facing website to promote the hygiene and environmental advantages and supply-chain sustainability, as well as other benefits of linen, uniform and facility services. Users can view the website at LaundryServices.org. It includes a searchable directory of TRSA members so local businesses can find one near them.

TRSA and the Textile Services Association (TSA-UK) have announced an important new stage in their partnership. Both associations have agreed to work closer together to share knowledge with each other across key areas, which will help to drive improvements in the services provided to both TSA-UK and TRSA members. The areas include training and certification as well as aligning future global industry strategies and policies.

A recent case study on Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service noted that the operator saved Ontario taxpayers $70 million during the first 24 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. During a time of widespread shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), Ecotex was able to supply hospitals in the Greater Toronto area with AAMI Level II rated reusable barrier isolation gowns.

More than 150 operator and supplier partner executives serving the healthcare market sector attended TRSA’s 11th Annual Healthcare Conference in Scottsdale, AZ. The two-day conference featured a full day of industry-specific education followed by a tour of Emerald Textiles’ 65,000-square-foot plant in nearby Phoenix.

U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, (R-NV) recently toured Alsco Uniforms’ plant in Carson City, NV, to see a commercial laundry in action and meet some of its employees.