K-Bro is the current Laundry Service provider to many sites within VCH. They have been a partner since 2003 and in 2010 they have implemented a proprietary linen utilization program known as Graduated Reduced Utilization Management Program (GRUMP). The program uses a sophisticated data management system to monitor daily quota activities and reports on actual linen usage down to the item/unit level. K-Bro’s linen utilization program is currently active at Vancouver General Hospital and Banfield, UBC Hospital and Purday, Lions Gate and Evergreen,, and Kiwanis Care Centre where K-Bro handles all aspects of linen services including laundering, cart make up, transportation, clean distribution and soiled collection.
Laundry utilization varies by type of facility (acute and residential) and by type of clinical service (Operating Room, Emergency and Diagnostic Imaging etc). Large hubs of tertiary care facility like Vancouver General would tend to have higher utilization because of the greater number and more complex nature of surgeries and foot traffic in emergency department. However any size or type of facility can exercise efficient utilization to reduce laundry costs and minimize the impact on the environment through everyday reduce, reuse and recycle practices.
A laundry utilization program such as GRUMP is innovative in its approach and is first of its kind in the industry. To date the program at all K-Bro sites has improved quality, service and inventory management and at the same time realized approximately a 3.8% reduction in linen usage. The continual success of this program and other related linen utilization initiatives such as Standard Bed Make Up and sustainable practices on using reusable versus disposable linen products hinges largely on the cooperation, collaboration and support of our stakeholders and the site leadership team.
BISS is committed to supporting our vendor partners as well as site leadership on transition and implementation of system wide linen utilization initiatives to ensure Health Authority Resources are well managed and to develop and maintain a sustainable system for the future. We will provide continual updates on program successes and challenges through regular briefings and meetings as well as through VCH News.
If you comments or questions please contact Mary Fok, Regional Director, Support Services Laundry at mfok@phsa.ca; OR Peter Birovchak, Regional Laundry Contract Manager at pbirovchak@phsa.ca