Reusable Isolation Gowns
By Amanda Jepson | Categories: | Comments Off on Reusable Isolation Gowns
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, in Los Angeles, employs more than 4,000 people and cares for more than 380,000 patients per year. As part of precaution protocol, every person entering a person’s room must wear an isolation gown. In 2012, the medical center used an average of 6,000 disposable isolation gowns per day, or 2.2 million gowns per year, and the academic and health care teams piloted a reusable isolation gowns program.
The program started as a pilot in the medical center’s largest and busiest unit and later expanded to other units gradually to avoid overwhelming staff. Leaders educated staff through flyers and meetings, emphasizing the increased protection the new reusable gowns offered. Unit leaders and the Linen Committee were integral in the transition and maintenance of the program.
Internally, the process required collaboration from nursing staff, unit directors, and infection control staff. Externally, program staff worked with multiple gown vendors to design a custom gown, as well as with vendors that fold, launder, and transfer gowns.
As of November 2015, the hospital has used more than 3.3 million reusable gowns, saved more than $1.1 million in purchasing costs, and diverted 297 tons of waste from the landfill.