A medical facility that runs out of linen or apparel for patients and employees has a major problem. Ensuring a consistent supply of both healthcare linen and apparel is vital to ensure daily processes can be conducted safely and comfortably. There are many different healthcare linen and apparel supply solutions in Washington state. However, there are many pros and cons to each.
Traditional Method: Self-Maintenance
The first and most traditional method of securing consistent healthcare linen and apparel supply is self-maintenance. A healthcare provider can order the type of linen or apparel needed, which may differ from day to day. This method is suitable for providers with enough experience with their linen or apparel supply to know what they need.
Pro: Control
Control over linen and apparel supply is at the provider’s discretion. This method is effective for healthcare providers who have a lot of experience with their linen or apparel supply.
Pro: Quality
Healthcare providers can control the quality of linen and apparel themselves. This method is effective for healthcare providers who want to provide a high-quality product to their patients.
Con: Costs
Maintaining healthcare linen and apparel supply is expensive. It includes staffing, inventory management, and maintenance costs that all add up. Running an on-premise laundry is a massive financial and talent drain that is also a logistical nightmare for the unprepared.
Con: Reliance On Machinery / Training
Self-maintenance means relying on machinery and training to ensure the linen or apparel is delivered to the correct location and of adequate quality. This involves its own upkeep, ensuring machines are working properly and staff is performing effectively. Both also require a great deal of space, effort, and funding to see the right results.
Con: Liability for Contamination
If healthcare linen and apparel suppliers don’t provide quality products, they will be held liable for any contamination. Medical practices face a similar risk when they take care of their own maintenance and supply.
Con: Space
A medical practice’s healthcare linen and apparel supply isn’t the only thing that will take up space as a result of self-maintenance. Washers, dryers, extractors, boilers, computers, and increased staff require a lot of space and many healthcare facilities aren’t equipped to meet these needs.
Reliable Method: Healthcare Linen and Apparel Supply Service
The second and most reliable method of securing a consistent supply of healthcare apparel in Washington is through healthcare linen and apparel supply service. This means healthcare providers can receive their products from a business that maintains the products for them. There are many benefits to this approach:
Pro: Lower Costs
Linen and apparel providers can save medical practices money by including the cost of maintenance in the service agreement. The right provider will be reliable and have a track record for success that will alleviate potential liability costs.
Pro: More Security
Healthcare practices in Washington can choose from a broad range of reliable providers to purchase their supplies. The right provider will ensure that practices not only have reliably clean products. They will also provide consistent inventory even during the worst supply chain issues.
Cons: Have to Trust the Provider
Medical linen and apparel providers can accomplish a lot for healthcare practices. However, they have to be worth the time, money, and effort of working with. This means a provider that has a solid reputation, industry accreditations, and the products and services you need.
Superior Linen is the Medical Linen and Apparel Service Provider That Washington Practices Trust
We have just under a century of experience providing Washington medical practices with high-quality medical linen and apparel. Superior Linen has earned our name by providing our clients with the best possible service and meeting their needs where they are. We are a local, family-owned business that the TRSA has accredited as Clean Green for our sustainability efforts. We care about the businesses and communities we work with because we are members of the community.
See for yourself what accredited, family-owned healthcare linen and apparel service can do for your practice. Call us at 1-253-383-2636 or fill out this form for more information!
