TRSA Member Advocacy Spurs Congressional Push for Healthcare Textile Study

Advocacy by TRSA and its member companies is fueling bipartisan pressure on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release a long-awaited federal study evaluating the benefits and feasibility of expanding the use of reusable healthcare textiles.

U.S. Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Glenn Grothman (R-WI) recently signed and led efforts to send a congressional letter urging HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to publish the study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report was expected to be completed in August 2024 but has not yet been made public.

Industry Advocacy Builds Congressional Momentum

The congressional action follows TRSA’s Laundry Hill Day on Feb. 19, when nearly 100 linen, uniform and facility services executives traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers on key industry issues. Participants held more than 90 meetings with congressional offices, where they asked lawmakers to press HHS to make the study available or provide a timeline for submitting it to Congress.

Members continued their advocacy in early March after a TRSA action alert encouraged industry leaders to contact their senators and representatives and urge them to co-sign the congressional letter.

The study’s findings are expected to evaluate the performance, supply chain resilience and cost considerations associated with reusable healthcare textiles, helping inform future decisions about PPE procurement and emergency preparedness.

“Six years ago, we learned a painful lesson that over-reliance on single-use, disposable PPE can put patients, providers and our entire healthcare system at greater risk,” said TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci. “That’s especially true during national emergencies when PPE demand increases and global supply chains are stretched thin. Congress requested this study to address the problems we’ve faced in the past, yet it still hasn’t been shared publicly. We urge HHS to release this study so policymakers have the facts to better protect patients and providers in the future.”

Issue Draws National Media Attention

TRSA’s advocacy also generated national media attention. Coverage included a March 12 article in Infection Control Today, widely read by infection prevention professionals and healthcare leaders, reporting on congressional pressure for the study’s release. The issue was also highlighted March 11 in Bloomberg Government’s BGOV Health newsletter, a briefing widely read by healthcare policymakers and federal policy influencers on Capitol Hill, further amplifying the industry’s call for transparency around the long-awaited report.

TRSA will continue working with lawmakers and industry leaders to encourage the study’s release and highlight the critical role reusable healthcare textiles play in strengthening healthcare supply chains, improving sustainability, and supporting patient and provider safety.