Crothall Momentum

Environmental Services–

Going Green Results in Improved Infection Control

With the rising need for environmental reform, hospitals are turning to trusted experts to go Green. At Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD, Crothall's team has successfully utilized Green chemicals while improving infection control. A key tool in the program is a disinfectant by JohnsonDiversey called Oxivir that requires only 60 seconds of contact time to dry. Oxivir has been highly effective in destroying pathogens such as MRSA, Hepatitis C, and Norovirus. The active ingredient, Hydrogen Peroxide, biodegrades into water and oxygen and is completely safe to the environment; it is the first hospital-grade disinfectant of its kind to achieve US Environmental Protection Agency registration. In combination with new training, chemicals, and tools, it has resulted in a 10% decrease in antibiotic use at Suburban Hospital, indicating a significant reduction in infection.

Laundry & Linen–

Responding to Natural Gas Price Increases and Historic Drought Conditions

Areas throughout the Southeast are facing historic drought conditions and, along with the rest of the United States, a continued increase in the cost of natural gas, forcing both water conservation and cost savings initiatives in the area of laundry processing. Crothall Laundry Services, the nation's premier provider of healthcare laundry services, continues to invest in equipment and processes to deliver reductions in water and natural gas usage and consumption. At its Rome, GA, facility, the recent installation of new equipment and retrofit activities have resulted in a 33% reduction in water consumption and an overall 20% reduction in natural gas usage. With these improvements and upgrades to its plant and equipment, Crothall is better positioned to meet the continued challenges in water and gas consumption while providing high-quality linen service to its growing and enthusiastic customer base.

Patient Transportation–

Hospitals “Mobilize” to Decrease Worker Lift Injuries

Studies show that American hospital patients are growing more obese, resulting in more back injuries for hospital staff. Crothall is working with its clients to make safety a priority. At Allegheny General Hospital, the Patient Transportation team, joined by the nursing, physical therapy, workers compensation, and risk management departments, developed "Mobilization on Demand" teams, or "MOD" Squads, to ensure safe patient handling techniques and expertise with patient immobilization equipment. When lifting assistance is needed, healthcare personnel call the patient transport call center with the patient's name, location, type of lift, and any equipment needed for the lift. With this information, the center prioritizes and dispatches the lift team. Within a year, work-related injury claims decreased by 57.6% and related costs decreased by 69.4%. Nursing and patient satisfaction associated with this program have been positive and widespread.

Facilities Management–

What’s in a Name? Introducing Crothall’s Special Projects Group

Increasingly, hospitals are viewing building improvements as an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Facility upgrade plans are driven from strategic objectives, existing plant conditions, financial situations, and risk tolerance. Hospitals are looking for a credible partner in facilities management, one who is willing to customize its offerings and be flexible in meeting long-term strategic plans. For this reason, Crothall has unveiled its newly renamed "Special Projects Group," announcing its strategic decision to provide more flexible and comprehensive solutions based on client needs. This arm of Facilities Management intends to provide enhanced services that will range from evaluating existing plant conditions and developing long-term capital plans, to designing and implementing capital improvements in collaborative and creative ways to focus on a building's life cycle cost.

Clinical Equipment Services–

Handheld Technology Tracks Clinical Equipment Performance

Web-based equipment management software is quickly becoming the medical equipment repair industry's hottest trend. Crothall Clinical Equipment Services has ushered in the 21st century with its newly named proprietary software program, TeamTRACE. TeamTRACE enables easy customer access to reports and inventories and provides quick and direct responses to equipment questions. In wireless hospitals, technicians no longer complete paper service reports. Instead, technicians are equipped with laptops and palm pilots to instantly download the repair and preventive maintenance data they are completing. TeamTRACE enables the Crothall staff to identify trends in such areas as equipment failures, operator error/no fault found, and equipment obsolescence. Hospitals benefit from easy access and quick response time from Crothall innovations in the field while technicians benefit from the accurate data collected.