FRANKFORT, IL - The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has awarded its AORN Seal of Recognition to the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) standards document covering the complete textile processing cycle for use in healthcare facilities.

The announcement comes on the eve of the AORN Surgical Conference & Expo 2014 (March 30 - April 2) being held in Chicago, IL, where HLAC will be exhibiting (Booth 1246).

The AORN Seal of Recognition confirms that the content of the HLAC document, "Accreditation Standards for Processing Reusable Textiles for Use in Healthcare Facilities 2011 Edition," or the HLAC Accreditation Standards, has undergone thorough review by AORN and meets the guidelines of the "AORN Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices, " according to Lisa Spruce, DNP, RN, ACNS, ACNP, ANP, CNOR, and AORN's Director Evidence-Based Perioperative Practice. While not an endorsement, the Seal of Recognition is confirmation that HLAC's accreditation standards as presented in the document have met AORN standards of excellence in safe patient care.

The HLAC Accreditation Standards are established as the minimum acceptable practice for the preparation of hygienically clean, reusable healthcare textiles for patient care, implemented and executed by accredited laundry facilities processing reusable healthcare textiles. The document covers the complete textile processing cycle: from handling and transporting to laundering and finishing to customer service. Special attention has been directed to laundry processes directly related to patient safety and OSHA required practices, including Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Standards.

"The AORN Seal of Recognition helps to reinforce the credibility and quality of our standards," said Gregory Gicewicz, HLAC president. "For current HLAC-accredited customers, this seal provides them with instant peace of mind that they've aligned themselves with an organization that has met AORN's stringent standards for excellence in safe patient care. This is a message worth communicating at many levels - to hospital administrators, infection preventionists, nurses, environmental services professionals and, of course, to patients and their families."  

About HLAC

The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) is a nonprofit organization formed for the purpose of inspecting and accrediting laundries processing healthcare textiles for hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities.    

About AORN

AORN is a non-profit membership association that represents the interests of more than 160,000 perioperative nurses by providing nursing education, standards, and clinical practice resources to enable optimal outcomes for patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. For more information, visit http://www.aorn.org/.