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Procedures Used
THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES ARE USED BY UNITEX IN SERVING INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS YOURS AND ARE FLEXIBLE TO ACCOMMODATE VARYING NEEDS THAT MAY BE UNIQUE TO ANY SPECIFIC FACILITY.
OUR INITIAL PROCEDURE IS A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY OUR STAFF TO
ESTABLISH DAILY STANDARDS WITH NURSING AND HOUSEKEEPING FOR EACH ITEM.
ONCE THESE STANDARDS ARE VERIFIED AND AGREED UPON, UNITEX PROCEEDS TO
PREPARE THE FIRST DELIVERY AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DELIVERY
PATTERN THAT IS EVALUATED ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THIS PAR LEVEL IS THEN
SHIPPED ON A CONSISTENT BASIS AND IS CHANGED ONLY AT THE REQUEST OF
THE INSTITUTION. HOUSEKEEPING CAN NOW EASILY FILL ANY NEED FROM THE
ADEQUATE SUPPLY ALWAYS STOCKED IN THE LINEN ROOM. YOU WILL FIND THAT
THIS PROGRAM REMOVES FRUSTRATION AND HOSTILITY BETWEEN NURSING AND HOUSEKEEPING.
OUR PROCEDURES PERMIT AN INSTITUTION TO HAVE A TWO-DAY SHELF STOCK OF
USABLE PRODUCT AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES, NOT ONLY FOR PATIENT ITEMS BUT
FOR OPERATING ROOM ITEMS AS WELL. PRIOR TO INSTALLING OUR SERVICE IT
WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO CONSIDER THE ADEQUACY OF PRESENT SHELVING
AND SPACE AVAILABLE TO STORE DELIVERED PRODUCT.
ALL OUR DELIVERIES ARE SHIPPED IN FREE-WHEELING CONTAINERS
THAT ARE EASILY MOVED BY AN EMPLOYEE, MALE OR FEMALE. THESE CONTAINERS
ARE COVERED WITH A PLASTIC BARRIER AFTER THE CLEANING PHASE. PRIOR TO
REUSE, CONTAINERS ARE WASHED AND SANITIZED THOROUGHLY BY OUR PLANT PERSONNEL.
EACH CONTAINER WILL HAVE A PACKING SLIP ATTACHED INDICATING THE EXACT
CONTENTS, BY ITEM, QUANTITY, AND WEIGHT.
OUR SERVICE PROCEDURE DOES NOT REQUIRE INSTITUTIONS TO SORT
OR COUNT OUTGOING SOILED LINEN OTHER THAN SCRUB SHIRTS, SCRUB PANTS,
O.R. LINEN, AND BABY APPAREL. SINCE ALL OUR PLANTS UTILIZE "UNIVERSAL
PRECAUTIONS," IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO SEGREGATE ISOLATION MATERIALS.
IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST THAT THE INSTITUTION LABEL ANY SHEEPSKINS,
RESTRAINTS, OR OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS WHICH ARE OWNED BY THE FACILITY.
WE CAN THEN PROPERLY IDENTIFY AND RETURN THESE ARTICLES IF THEY ARE
SENT TO US. UNITEX WILL BE WILLING TO SUPPLY MARKERS IF THE INSTITUTION
NEEDS THEM, AT OUR COST.
ALL
ITEMS SHIPPED FROM OUR PLANT WILL BE PROPERLY FOLDED AND PACKED. WE
PREPARE ALL OUR LINEN IN STANDARD BUNDLES, AND HOUSEKEEPING WILL BE
NOTIFIED OF THE STANDARDS FOR PACKING BEFORE INSTALLATION OF OUR SERVICES.
SHOULD THE INSTITUTION DETERMINE THAT ANY ITEM IS UNFIT FOR USE, UNITEX
WILL GIVE FULL, UNQUESTIONED CREDIT FOR ANY ITEM RETURNED.
WE
DO ASK, HOWEVER, THAT THE ITEM BE RETURNED SEPARATELY FROM THE SOILED
LINEN WITH A RETURN TAG OR HELD FOR OUR SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO WILL
VISIT WEEKLY. THIS SEPARATION HELPS US TO MAINTAIN OUR QUALITY SINCE
ALL RETURNS ARE REVIEWED BY SERVICE, PLANT, AND MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
AT OUR QUALITY CONTROL MEETINGS.
UNITEX ENCOURAGES YOU TO INSTITUTE A PROGRAM OF HAVING SUPERVISORY
PERSONNEL SIGN FOR LINEN DELIVERED DAILY TO THEIR AREA. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT
BENEFIT HAVING YOUR PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LINEN. IN THE FUTURE,
WE WILL WORK WITH YOUR STAFF DURING IN-SERVICE TRAINING AND DISCUSS
THE COSTS OF LINEN. OUR HISTORY INDICATES THAT ONCE THIS OCCURS, THE
STAFF EXHIBITS CONCERNED BEHAVIOR TOWARD PROPER UTILIZATION OF LINEN
WHICH, IN TURN, REFLECTS A REDUCTION IN OVERUSE AND ABUSE OF MERCHANDISE.
THIS POLICY CAN ASSIST IN YOUR COST CONTAINMENT EFFORTS AND LOWER THE
EXPENSE TO THE INSTITUTION.
TO SUPPORT OUR BRONX FACILITY, UNITEX OWNS ADDITIONAL HEALTH-CARE
PLANTS IN THE PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY; MOUNT VERNON, MIDDLETOWN, AND
MONROE, NEW YORK. WE HAVE RECENTLY ACQUIRED A PRODUCTION FACILITY IN
CONNECTICUT TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THAT MARKET. DURING AN EMERGENCY,
THE FACILITIES CAN BE CALLED UPON TO SUPPLEMENT THE BRONX PLANT. BEING
SERVED BY DIFFERENT PUBLIC UTILITIES AND WATER SUPPLIERS, THEY ARE TOTALLY
FREE-STANDING GIVING UNITEX THE NECESSARY BACK-UP TO PRODUCE WORK WITHIN
COMPANY-OWNED FACILITIES IN CASE OF A CRISIS. WE ALSO HAVE ARRANGEMENTS
WITH COMPANIES BEYOND OUR SERVICE AREA TO PROCESS WORK IF THERE SHOULD
BE A MAJOR CATASTROPHE.
OUR LINEN PROGRAM IS MONITORED ON A WEEKLY BASIS BY A VISIT
FROM ONE OF OUR SERVICE PERSONNEL TO YOUR HOUSEKEEPING STAFF. ANY DEFICIENCY
OR PROBLEM THAT ARISES CAN BE DEALT WITH IMMEDIATELY. MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
GENERALLY VISIT THE INSTITUTION MONTHLY SO THAT THERE IS A DIALOGUE
WITH ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTITUTION. OUR MONTHLY REPORTS TO EACH
INSTITUTION ARE BASED ON THE MOST CURRENT MONTH'S USAGE AS WELL AS A
YEAR-TO-DATE RECAP WHICH DEPICTS TRENDS IN USAGE. UNITEX FEELS THAT
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT OF OUR SERVICE AND AN EXCELLENT ADMINISTRATIVE
MANAGEMENT TOOL. IN ADDITION, WE CROSS-REFERENCE THE USAGE AT ONE INSTITUTION
WITH THE USAGE AT COMPARABLE INSTITUTIONS TO HELP ESTABLISH NORMS.
ALL OF OUR ROUTE SHIPPING PERSONNEL ARE SUBJECT TO PRE-EMPLOYMENT
REFERENCE AND HONESTY TESTS. OCCASIONALLY, WHEN NECESSARY, THEY WILL
BE EXAMINED BY PROFESSIONAL POLYGRAPH ANALYSTS. UNITEX EMPLOYS A PRIVATE
SECURITY COMPANY THAT DOES SPOT CHECKS OF OUR ROUTE PERSONNEL ON A RANDOM
BASIS. WE ALSO WEIGH EACH CONTAINER SHIPPED AS A CROSS-CHECK TO VERIFY
CONTENTS. AS A RESULT, WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE VERY STRONG CONTROL OVER
OUR PERSONNEL AND OUR DELIVERY OPERATION. WE EXPECT OUR CLIENTS TO COOPERATE
IF WE PERCEIVE A SHORTAGE AT THEIR FACILITY.
TO ASSIST SUPPORT SERVICES, OUR PLANT IN MOUNT VERNON, NEW
YORK, PROVIDES UNIFORM RENTAL SERVICES FOR HOUSEKEEPING, MAINTENANCE,
DIETARY PERSONNEL, ETC. FOR OUR NURSING HOME CLIENTELE WE ALSO PROVIDE
PATIENT CLOTHING PROCESSING THROUGH OUR AFFILIATE, MED-APPAREL.
ALL OF OUR CLIENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH A LISTING OF THE HOME
TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF OUR KEY PERSONNEL. WE ASK THAT ADMINISTRATION KEEP
THIS LIST IN A LOCKED FILE AND THEY BE USED ONLY IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
WHERE SERVICE IS NEEDED BEYOND OUR NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
OUR DELIVERY FLEET IS UPDATED REGULARLY AND IS MAINTAINED BY
A TRUCK LEASING COMPANY WHICH PROVIDES BACK-UP VEHICLES SHOULD OUR PRIMARY
VEHICLES NEED REPAIR OR MAINTENANCE. THE FLEET CONSISTS OF STEP VANS,
STRAIGHT TRUCKS AND TRACTOR TRAILERS, INSURING THAT UNITEX CAN ACCOMMODATE
ANY TYPE OF DELIVERY THAT A CUSTOMER MAY REQUIRE. UNITEX ALSO EMPLOYS
A FULL-TIME MECHANIC TO EXPEDITE ON-THE-SPOT REPAIRS. OUR FLEET ALSO
UNDERGOES ROUTINE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND STATE INSPECTIONS AT REGULAR
INTERVALS TO PRECLUDE BREAKDOWNS THROUGH THE LEASING COMPANY.
UNITEX IS RARELY ASKED TO MAKE SPECIAL EMERGENCY DELIVERIES
TO A SERVICED INSTITUTION. IN THAT RARE INSTANCE, OUR SPECIAL DELIVERY
TIME IS GENERALLY FORTY-FIVE MINUTES PLUS TRAVEL TIME TO THE ACCOUNT.
OUR STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN ESTABLISHING POLICIES WITH
YOU IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
- INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
- LINEN USAGE MANAGEMENT
- CART PACKING SYSTEMS
- LINEN LOSS CONTROL
- ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
- SECURITY SURVEYS
- QUALITY CONTROL
- OSHA REGULATIONS
UNITEX
CAN ASSESS VARIOUS FACTORS FOR YOU THROUGH A SURVEY PREPARED FOR YOUR
REVIEW AND EVALUATION CONDUCTED BY OUR ORGANIZATION.
THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITERION OF A LAUNDRY PROGRAM FOR HEALTH
CARE FACILITIES IS THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTS SUPPLIED IN COMPLIANCE WITH
STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY OSHA. OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE HEALTH CARE FIELD
OVER THE YEARS HAS ENABLED US TO PROVIDE A SUPERIOR LEVEL OF QUALITY
TO OUR CLIENTS. UNITEX PURCHASES THE FINEST QUALITY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE.
HOWEVER, WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE MATERIALS USED IN
OUR OPERATION. OVER TIME, WE HAVE UPGRADED THE SIZE OF OUR PATIENT GOWN
AND INCREASED THE WEIGHT OF OUR BATH TOWEL. ALSO, A 115" SHEET
(RATHER THAN 104" SHEET) AND A 54"X81" DRAW SHEET HAVE
BECOME STANDARD, AS HAVE FITTED SHEETS. IN ADDITION TO PURCHASING EXCEPTIONAL
MATERIALS, UNITEX IS CONCERNED WITH THE METHODS USED IN WASHING OUR
PRODUCTS. OUTSIDE CHEMISTS VISIT OUR FACILITIES MONTHLY TO WORK WITH
OUR PRODUCTION EMPLOYEES TO ASSURE CONSISTENT QUALITY IN OUR WASHING
PROCESS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CHEMISTS, WE ALSO USE OUTSIDE SERVICES
THROUGH THE TEXTILE RENTAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION'S "WASH TEST BUNDLE"
PROGRAM TO ASSURE PROPER PH LEVELS AND RETENTION OF MATERIAL INTEGRITY.
IN ADDITION, WE GENERATE, QUARTERLY, A PATHOLOGICAL TEST OF OUR PRODUCTS.
THE RESULTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISTRIBUTED TO OUR CLIENTS.
OUR FINISHING EQUIPMENT FOR LARGE FLAT PIECES ARE ALL EQUIPPED
WITH REJECT MECHANISMS BOTH FOR STAINED AND TORN PRODUCTS. IT IS OUR
POLICY THAT STAINED AND TORN ITEMS BE WITHDRAWN AT THE PLANT LEVEL.
HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT STAINED OR TORN PIECES OF MERCHANDISE
WILL NOT BE SENT FROM OUR PLANT. IT MEANS THAT THE PROBABILITY OF RECEIVING
TORN OR STAINED PRODUCTS HAS BEEN GREATLY DIMINISHED AS A RESULT OF
OUR CONTROLS. WE ALSO REPROCESS STAINED GOODS THAT ARE REJECTED AT OUR
PLANT. IF THE STAINS DO NOT COME OUT, THE PIECE IS WITHDRAWN FROM SERVICE
AND RAGGED. UNITEX HAS ESTABLISHED A PROGRAM OF AUTOMATIC REPLACEMENT
OF ALL ITEMS TO ASSURE A CONTINUAL FLOW OF NEW PRODUCTS INTO OUR PRODUCT
PIPELINE ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THIS PROGRAM HAS PROVEN MOST SUCCESSFUL
IN MAINTAINING THE QUALITY OF OUR PRODUCTS AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL.
UNITEX HAS A COMPLETE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR ALL
OF OUR EQUIPMENT. THIS INSURES THAT OUR DELIVERIES WILL BE ON SCHEDULE
AND THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ANY INTERRUPTIONS IN SERVICE.
THE KEY QUALITY ISSUE IS THAT THE PRODUCTS USED ARE OUR PROPERTY
AND WE EXERCISE THE UTMOST CARE IN HANDLING THEM. THE STANDARDS THAT
UNITEX MAINTAINS FOR THE LINEN AND FOR THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE INCORPORATE
THE CONCEPT OF COST CONTAINMENT AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL OF QUALITY.
WE CURRENTLY EMPLOY THREE PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WHOSE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY
IS TO MEASURE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCT LEAVING OUR FACILITIES. WE HAVE
ADOPTED MANY FACETS OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) PROGRAMS TO ASSIST
US IN ACHIEVING OUR PRIMARY GOAL OF PROVIDING QUALITY PRODUCTS.
THE TEXTILE RENTAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION
THIS IS THE NATIONAL TRADE ORGANIZATION OF THE TEXTILE RENTAL
INDUSTRY.
THE
HOSLIN GROUP
THE HOSLIN GROUP CONSISTS OF NON-COMPETING COMPANIES LOCATED
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES WHOSE CUSTOMER BASE CONSISTS SOLELY OF
HEALTH CARE ACCOUNTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS GROUP IS TO SHARE INFORMATION,
PROCEDURES, AND IMPROVEMENTS REGARDING SERVICE TO HEALTH CARE CLIENTS.
THE
NATIONAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU
CONSISTS OF TEN NON-COMPETING COMPANIES LOCATED IN CANADA AND
THE EASTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES WHOSE CUSTOMER BASE IS COMPOSED
MOSTLY OF UNIFORM ACCOUNTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS GROUP IS IDENTICAL TO
THAT OF THE HOSLIN GROUP.