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Cover Story: Then and Now - ImageFIRST Responds to Pandemic

Continued from page 1 • Initiating a pre-shift health and tem- help non-customers as backup to regular but truly inspiring to see that every
President, all 41 company locations perature check for all associates linen services; supporting transition of employee perceives his/her role as vital
remain committed to taking care of their • Increased staffing and bench roster of outpatient facilities and surgery centers to and recognizes that healthy attendance is
customers’ needs, maintaining the safety candidates temporary COVID-19 care centers; partic- the norm; using all precautions to main-
of their Associates (employees) and pre- • Identifying and segregating any prod- ipating in the supply chain of FEMA initi- tain their own health in order to provide
serving the highest levels of customer uct potentially contaminated with ated projects such as repurposing of hotels service is a given,” he said.
service, linen sanitation, and cleanliness COVID-19 and convention centers to transform into
with added precautions (above and • Continual monitoring of CDC, WHO MASH units - all requiring an expansion of Future Preparedness
beyond required). Several plants have now and other agencies to stay current in all their broad base of linen and healthcare At ImageFIRST, each and every one
expanded schedules of operation from 4 to recommended procedures attire services. Even the USS Comfort has demonstrates first-hand knowledge of the
7 days to serve clients and unanticipated been in touch to prepare for potential battle that healthcare providers - at all lev-
needs. Now, for patients who have been Sanitizing Steps in Place Prepare patient influx and service overflow capaci- els - are fighting. And they are not only
hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms, for Pandemic ty. ready to arm them with enough sanitized
the engrained ImageFIRST ‘can-do’ culture The wash process is the first step to “Above and beyond our elevated thresh- product on hand but also thinking about
prevails and is bolstered with a crisis strat- cleaning the laundry – both the visible and old of cleaning and sanitization of prod- the “new normal” that will follow the cur-
egy that assumed and prepared for the invisible dirt. But ImageFIRST effective ucts, ImageFIRST provides management rent crisis.
worst. Consequently, the pandemic is a cleaning pushes the envelope beyond systems for inventory planning, access and “We are preparing to be nimble with
challenge ImageFIRST is prepared to meet. hygienically clean, ensuring all laundry is control, employee safety upon pick-up, staffing and inventory procedures to
segregated and sanitized. After that, a bac- and management guidance and/or imple- accommodate when providers will experi-
Above the Curve and Ready teria-inhibiting softener is applied to pro- mentation regarding some facilities’ con- ence a tidal wave of delayed yet vital elec-
Response vide a “bio-shield” that isolates pathogens version from disposable to reusable rental tive procedures to schedule for their
Some Business Continuity plan high- and prevents them from spreading. linens to assure clients maintain compli- patients. We are anticipating a future high
lights put ImageFIRST ahead of the curve ance with all guidelines,” Juffre said. demand for continuing worry-free assur-
to meet FEMA-directed initiatives in fight- Preventing Recontamination As scientists discover new ways the ance of quality linens, staff and patient
ing this challenge: Next, linens are cleaned, folded and virus transmits, there is a mind shift apparel delivery with the ultimate in safely
• Increasing core product inventory by packaged in plastic to protect them from among healthcare providers regarding sanitized procedures supporting recovery,”
over 40% dirt and prevent recontamination during safety precautions to ensure infection con- Juffre predicts.
• Implementing detailed contingency travel to and while inside client facilities. trol for their patients and their staffs. In times of social distancing, fear of the
plans across all national locations, ensur- Juffre commented that the heightened There is no skimping on precautionary unknown and the inevitable impact from
ing backup of processing, should it infection prevention and sanitation thresh- measures when the ultimate goal is to not the virus, take a moment to note vendors
become necessary olds are standard for ImageFIRST cus- only care for patients but to flatten the who are going above and beyond as some
• Enhancing Infection Control and tomers, but during the pandemic, curve and prevent future infections. For of the remarkables and we’ll see you on the
Safety procedures (at or above CDC, Customer Advocates servicing clients have ImageFIRST, that translates to heightened other side of this global pandemic.
HLAC, TRSA guidelines) such a rooted solution-minded sense of expectations for access to gowns and
• Building a secured inventory of PPE service they have stories of many atypical linens. For more information, visit
items, assuring associates are safe and able partnerships including: overnight turn- “It is satisfying to be able to meet needs www.imagefirst.com
to work around of products like barrier gowns to as a result of proactive pre-crisis planning or call (800) 368-3676.

Cleveland Clinic Establishes Center

for Global and Emerging Pathogens Research

Cleveland Clinic is establishing the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research “Novel pathogens to which we have lit- related to COVID-19. A research registry
Center for Global and Emerging Institute and the soon-to-open Cleveland tle or no immunity are a tremendous risk of nearly 10,000 patients is collecting data
Pathogens Research to broaden under- Clinic Florida Research and Innovations to global health,” said Serpil Erzurum, from patients tested for COVID-19 at
standing of emerging pathogens – ranging Center (FRIC) in Port St. Lucie, Florida. A M.D., chair of the Lerner Research Cleveland Clinic and there are plans to
from Zika virus to SARS-CoV-2 (which team of renowned experts will lead the Institute. “We have some of the world’s top integrate the data with the electronic med-
causes COVID-19) – and to expedite criti- center to advance research toward diseases research experts in virology, immunology, ical record. The researchers will mine the
cally needed treatments and vaccines. such as COVID-19, highly pathogenic genomics, population health and drug dis- data to inform other studies, such as the
The new center has been in the planning influenza, Dengue fever, AIDS and Zika covery coming together to form a team development of tools to predict risk and
stages for 18 months and will span virus-related conditions. approach on infectious disease research.” outcomes in patients.
Leveraging Cleveland Clinic’s robust Cleveland Clinic researchers published
research infrastructure, the center’s findings last month on a network-based
researchers will uncover the scientific prediction model using artificial intelli-
mechanisms of how SARS-Cov-2 and gence to identify targets for drug repurpos-
other pathogens cause disease. In addi- ing in coronaviruses and COVID-19
tion, the researchers will closely collabo- specifically. Based on their findings, they
rate with the newly established Cleveland prioritized 16 drugs and three drug combi-
Clinic BioRepository to have access to nations as potential treatments.
patient tissues and electronic medical Other projects are uncovering how
record data through a large-scale secure SARS-Cov-2 enters human cells, replicates
database. The new center will be support- and causes disease. A clinical trials com-
ed in large part by philanthropy. mittee has been formed to identify and pri-
The research team will collaborate with oritize the most promising therapies for
the drug developers at Lerner Research mild to severe disease.
Institute’s Center for Therapeutics In partnership with Cleveland Clinic
Discovery to rapidly translate research Florida, the new center will also conduct
findings into life-saving therapies and research at the Florida Research and
experts in the Populations Health Innovation Center building, a state-of-the-
Research Center to understand socioeco- art research facility, complete with a
nomic factors that affect risk of infection biosafety level 3 laboratory anticipated to
and poor outcomes. open in summer 2020. The facility fea-
In light of the global pandemic and in tures 107,000-square feet of high-tech lab-
anticipation of the new center’s opening, oratory and office space situated on eight
Cleveland Clinic is ramping up research acres of land.

14 May 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News