Reusable HCTs: TRSA Welcomes Bipartisan Push to Release CDC Study

TRSA welcomed a bipartisan congressional effort urging U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to release a completed 2024 study on the benefits and feasibility of expanding the use of reusable healthcare textiles.

U.S. Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Glenn Grothman (R-WI) signed and led the effort to send a congressional letter requesting the study’s immediate release. The study was conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to former CDC Director Mandy Cohen, the report was expected to be completed by August 2024 and released soon after. However, the study has still not been made public.

Reusable PPE and healthcare textiles include surgical gowns, incontinence pads, and other linens that can be hygienically cleaned and reused.

“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.”

Background:

• In June 2023, Rep. Landsman and other bipartisan members of Congress requested that then-HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra study the “potential benefits and feasibility” of increasing the use of reusable healthcare textiles.
• In October 2023, then-CDC Director Mandy Cohen informed lawmakers that NIOSH would conduct a study on increasing the use of reusable healthcare textiles, with a report “expected to be completed by August 2024.”
• In June 2024, the National Academies released the findings of a workshop on reusable healthcare textiles, concluding they meet high standards for quality and safety, while reducing waste and environmental impact, lowering costs and enhancing supply-chain resiliency. The findings noted that “the workshop will serve as input for a NIOSH report exploring the increased use of reusable PPE in health care while ensuring the safety and health of [healthcare workers] and patients.”
• On March 10, 2026, Reps. Landsman and Grothman urged HHS Secretary Kennedy to release the CDC/NIOSH study or provide a timeline for its release. The members also requested a briefing on the National Academies workshop findings and any preliminary information available for congressional review. To read the letter, click here.