USA
The expertise and standards of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) featured recently at two educational conferences held on separate coasts by chapters of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
Gregory Gicewicz, HLAC immediate past president and current board member, spoke on how to prevent the contamination of healthcare textiles at the APIC Puget Sound chapter conference, "Combating Infection Risks in the Healthcare Environment." This was Gicewicz's second presentation before this chapter this year. He is president of Sterile Surgical Systems.
Another former HLAC president and board member, Rocco Romeo presented at the APIC New England chapter's conference, "Infection Prevention for a Safer Environment," where he spoke about the need for collaboration among HLAC and Infection Preventionists (IPs) to ensure hygienically clean and safe healthcare textiles. Romeo is CEO, HLS Linen Services.
HLAC also recently exhibited at APIC's 43rd annual conference.
HLAC accreditation standards are established as the minimum acceptable practice for the preparation of hygienically clean, reusable healthcare textiles for patient care, implemented and executed by accredited laundry facilities processing reusable healthcare textiles.
