The Truth About Where Hospitals Save Money
This question is largely dependent on the size of a hospital, and the short answer is that larger hospitals (who can afford an entire laundry department) sometimes save money by using non-disposable products. But as labor prices increase (especially with the rising cost of health insurance) even the larger hospitals benefit from switching to disposable products. What do the numbers on disposable products say?
So let’s look at some numbers. Between 2002 and 2003, Centura Health reported that supply costs rose 14.5% while labor costs rose only 10.3%. Looking at this, the clear winner is the labor involved in cleaning linen instead of buying disposable products. But the supply costs include drugs and sophisticated medical equipment that obviously curve the data in a confusing direction. What kind of labor do non-disposable products involve?
Remember that hiring a laundry cleaning crew, paying for the laundry equipment, maintenance, and supplies, and purchasing the actual linen aren’t the only costs of non-disposable products.
- More Labor for Staff: It costs more for hospital staff to take the time to set soiled clothing aside…and then to take that soiled clothing to the laundry area. Disposable products eliminate this, leaving staff free to provide better care for patients.
- Facility Costs: Building space costs money. Even if you outsource laundry cleaning, it has to be stored somewhere. Disposable products require one small area.
- Patient Thievery: Not many people want to admit it, but patients take thousands of linen gowns, etc. each year. Hospitals can either cover the costs, or waste staff time keeping track of all the apparel. Patients are less likely to take disposable products, and the price is so much less.
- Reliability: Non-disposable products wear, and it takes time to sort through what’s outlived its usefulness. Hospitals who use disposable products save time when they open their packages knowing that they are getting quality new products.
Disposable Products Have a Reliable Source Personal Touch Health Care Apparel makes the purchase of disposable products easy. Their online catalog offers a huge selection at wholesale prices with special discounts and saving opportunities for bulk orders. They add a touch of style by providing colors and fun prints on child-wear.
Personal Touch has a full line of disposable and non-disposable products. And their excellent customer service makes them an ideal apparel source for anyone in the medical industry.