Three Michigan health systems have unveiled a shared $48 million laundry facility to ensure patients and providers have adequate supplies of clean gowns, bed linen and more, the health systems said Oct. 28.
Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor and Saint Joseph Mercy Health in Canton said the laundry facility washes, presses and folds 700,000 pounds of laundry every week. Located in Detroit, it has the capacity to service 78 million pounds of healthcare linens per year.
Ample supply of clean, sanitized scrubs for providers and fresh gowns and bed linens for patients is just as critical as personal protective equipment like face masks and gloves, the health systems said in a news release. With COVID-19 on the rise in Michigan and flu season approaching, the health systems expect an increased demand for laundry services.
"Laundry may not seem like an exciting thing, but this project is so good for our city in so many ways. It's making sure our front-line health care workers and the patients they serve have gowns and linens cleaned to the highest standards as we battle COVID-19," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. "It also has taken another parcel of vacant land and put it back to productive use that benefits the community and employs more Detroiters. I'm grateful to Henry Ford Health System, Michigan Medicine, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and the Metropolitan Detroit Area Hospital Services for this investment in our city and its people."
As one of the largest shared medical laundry facilities in the country, the facility is expected to achieve both savings from more efficient operations and to better meet the needs of the three health systems, according to the news release. It employs about 150 workers, 83 of which are new hires.
Read the full news release here.