Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
PROBLEM
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center provides world-class medical care in Spokane, Washington. However, Providence’s scrub program didn’t match the same level of care.
During the summer of 2022, Providence’s sole scrub vendor notified Al Dunn Jr., Manager of Operations for Patient Transport and Linen Distribution at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, that they were discontinuing their scrub service within two weeks because it had become too labor intensive and expensive on their end.
Ironically, Providence was experiencing some logistics challenges with the scrub program overall. Providence was spending up to $20,000 a month on scrubs that often weren’t cleaned up to clinical standards. Providence also experienced delayed deliveries, inventory shortages and linen quality issues. Meanwhile, Dunn was spending 80% of his time managing the scrub program.
“We faced some quality issues with our previous vendor, but I never expected them to discontinue our scrub service so suddenly,” explained Dunn. “They left us in a helpless position, which made us realize how much of a vulnerable position we were in; it was strictly a business transaction. This development left us in a dire position and on the verge of delaying or postponing multiple surgeries due to lack of the ability to outfit clinical staff with scrubs.”
SOLUTION
Providence contacted Cintas about implementing the Cintas Scrub Dispensing Program and received a flood of support. Dunn explained the urgency of the situation and Cintas immediately stepped in and put together a plan of action so Providence could keep its facility running smoothly. It typically takes Cintas 10-12 weeks to implement and execute their Scrub Dispensing Program at a new facility. Although Cintas had other scrub program installs scheduled, they recognized the urgency of the situation at Providence, so representatives from Cintas worked with Sacred Heart to develop a solution.
Cintas implemented a temporary program at Providence to provide scrubs for its nearly 1,200 employees until Cintas could install their Scrub Dispensing Program. Cintas collected scrubs from 60 of their locations across the U.S. to ensure staff members had scrubs for all upcoming surgeries.
“Cintas truly showed their character by answering our call for help,” said Dunn. “Thanks to the Cintas bulk scrub program, we were able to keep all of our surgeries on track.”
To accomplish this extremely tight deadline, Cintas transformed one of their conference rooms into a folding room for Providence’s scrubs. From office staff to partners in the field, the entire Cintas team assisted with folding scrubs at every moment of downtime during work and weekend hours, including over the Fourth of July holiday. Some drivers made deliveries as late as 10 p.m. to ensure Providence had the scrubs they needed.
“Our motto is taking care of our patients and taking care of our community,” said Dunn. “Cintas stepped up in an urgent situation and worked around the clock to take care of us and to ensure we could continue to care for our community. Cintas helped us navigate the tight time constraints we were under. I am truly grateful for the level of commitment they provided until we were able to install the Cintas scrub dispensing machines.”
Cintas installed 12 scrub dispensing machines and 15 return units at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Providence Holy Family. The Cintas Scrub Dispensing Program is designed to help promote infection control by providing convenient and hassle-free access to clean, quality garments. Cintas delivers scrubs in individual polybags to help support hygiene, cleanliness, and infection control. Using their hospital ID card, staff can individually select tops, bottoms, and jackets in the size they want. Cintas removes the dirty scrubs from the return unit and launders them according to CDC guidelines. This eliminates issues associated with healthcare workers wearing scrubs home and washing them with other garments or not laundering them at all.
“The Cintas Scrub Dispensing Program is a 180 degree turn in the right direction from the challenges both ministries had experienced,” Dunn said. “Cintas goes out of their way to ensure we have high-quality scrubs that improve employee morale and instill confidence in our patients.”
RESULTS
Cost Savings
Freshly laundered scrubs are delivered, and the machines are stocked in quantities needed, lowering garment replacement cost by eliminating hoarding and sizing shortages. Scrub dispensing software monitors the program for Sacred Heart, including inventory levels to make sure scrubs are available whenever needed, removing the unexpected cost of ordering more scrubs, saving Sacred Heart up to 20% on scrubs.
Time Needed
From installation and maintenance to stocking and tracking the Cintas Scrub Dispensing Solution allowed up to 80% savings in time management for Sacred Heart by managing the entire program 24/7.
Infection Prevention
After being washed in our proprietary wash process, every scrub is individually poly-bagged and delivered on a covered cart, all to help adhere to healthcare standards. Soiled garments are collected inside the return unit and away from staff and their belongings once returned.
Professional Image
The scrub dispensing program helped Sacred Heart project a clean, consistent, and professional image with the retail inspired styling and fit of Landau CareFlex® an exclusive scrub rental line only from Cintas. The modernized scrubs are available in unisex and female styles, 6 colors, and sizes ranging from XS-5XL.