Healthcare laundry executives convened Oct. 14-15 at the Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa in San Diego for TRSA’s 15th Annual Healthcare Conference. The theme, “Change Is Constant: Building Readiness for Tomorrow,” framed a program focused on the challenges, opportunities and emerging technologies influencing healthcare linen, uniform and facility services operations.
The conference agenda was designed to help operators navigate a rapidly evolving business environment marked by rising costs, changing customer expectations, regulatory pressures and operational challenges. Educational sessions examined what healthcare facilities will expect from service providers beyond 2026, strategies for reducing linen waste and improving inventory management, and opportunities to leverage Hygienically Clean certification as a competitive advantage. Attendees also had the opportunity to explore healthcare textile policy initiatives and advocacy efforts affecting the industry.
While the program addressed immediate operational concerns, many sessions focused on preparing organizations for the next generation of healthcare linen, uniform and facility services operations. Educational content included updates on artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, along with discussions on customer retention during periods of rising costs, developments in laundry chemistry, and the impact of private-equity investment and market consolidation on the healthcare laundry sector.
“There’s no better place to learn about what’s happening in the healthcare industry than the TRSA Healthcare Conference,” said Jeff Courey, president and CEO of George Courey Inc. “It’s a meeting of the minds and you can have a first-hand look at what trends are coming up, what people are experiencing and how to improve your own company when you go back home. So, it’s a phenomenal place to learn and grow, and grow the industry as well.”
Readiness for change and growth was not limited to technology. Leadership and organizational resilience also emerged as central conference themes. The program opened with a keynote address by Paul Long, the creator of Fundamism®, which focused on strategies for leading through rising economic and operational pressures. In addition, a CEO/Executive Roundtable for healthcare operators on Oct. 13 offered an opportunity for peer discussion on the industry’s most pressing challenges and opportunities.
“The networking, learning … the industry’s consolidating, and you’re getting all the CEOs up on stage presenting, and they’re talking about what’s happening next. It’s very valuable to be here,” said Austin Burke, manager of national accounts, Standard Textile. “We had a really good speaker at the conference, and one of the things that he said is, ‘Outside of work, what’s important in your life?’ and if you could send a message to somebody right now, send a message and say, ‘Hey, I appreciate everything that you’ve done.’ I sent that to my wife today and it was amazing the response I got.”
The conference theme extended beyond the meeting areas at the Catamaran Resort, with a pair of tours designed to provide attendees with a firsthand look at innovation in action. One tour featured Alsco Uniforms’ Vista, CA, facility, a 74,000-square-foot operation that processes more than 280,000 pounds of textiles each week. The facility’s extensive use of automation demonstrates how healthcare and commercial laundry operators are increasing productivity, streamlining workflows and positioning their operations for future growth.
A second tour highlighted PSYONIC, developer of the Ability Hand, described as the world’s first touch-sensing bionic hand. Participants learned how technologies originally developed for advanced bionic applications may create new opportunities for robotics and automation in textile handling, sorting and movement. The visit provided a glimpse into innovations that could help address longstanding challenges associated with automating the processing of flexible textile products.
TRSA’s Ninth Annual Marketing, Sales & Service Summit took place a day before the 15th Annual Healthcare Conference at the same venue in San Diego. Click here for a recap of the summit.
The 16th Annual Healthcare Conference is scheduled for Oct. 6-7, 2027, at La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio. Click here for details on next year’s event.
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