Virginia Hospital System Develops Reusable Gown Helping Supply Chain and Environmental Concerns
The COVID-19 pandemic-related shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) provided a chance for a Virginia health system to not only solve supply chain difficulties but also reduce its environmental footprint.
Inova Health System, situated in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, ensured adequate supply of their second-most-used form of PPE while also avoiding 213 tonnes of waste per year by creating and constructing a unique, reusable isolation gown.
The Inova team shared their success story at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's (APIC) 49th Annual Conference, which takes place in Indianapolis from June 13 to 15.
Before 2020, the five-hospital system used 3.1 million single-use, disposable gowns per year, resulting in approximately 213 tonnes of garbage. When COVID struck, gowns and other personal protective equipment (PPE) were in short supply.
Michelle Peninger, BSMT, CIC, Assistant Vice President of Infection Prevention at Inova, said:
"During the pandemic when supplies were scarce, we used any gowns that we were able to procure that met infection prevention standards, regardless of the brand."
“Our infection prevention team realized we had an opportunity to create a better gown that would protect our frontline workers and reduce waste. By assessing all of the products in use, we were able to develop a more comfortable, safe, and user-friendly option that was also sustainable,” Peninger added.
Inova partnered with a sports apparel company to develop a new isolation gown that is better fitting, cooler to wear, easier to put on and take off, and can be washed and reused up to 100 times. Two of the system's five hospitals are currently using the new gowns.
Lucy He, MLS(ASCP), CIC, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Inova, said:
"The process involved a lot of trial and error, but it was so worth the effort. The innovative thinking of our team resulted in the development of a great product, and our team members are very happy with the new gowns. We look forward to introducing them into all Inova hospitals.”
Source: Mirage News
For more social and governance news
