Island Health’s new initiative is reducing waste by reusing gowns.
The reusable gowns program at Island Health is helping protect staff and patients while supporting sustainable, cost-effective practices.
The program will bring a number of new hospital gowns, known as reusable isolation gowns, into use at Island Health care sites.
It launched in February at a handful of South Island care sites. It’s a collaboration between Victoria Regional Laundry (VRL) and Island Health’s environmental sustainability and infection prevention and control (IPAC) teams, with contributions from other departments and clinical teams.
“Working with their colleagues across Island Health, the laundry team has adopted best-in-class technologies to minimize the environmental impacts,” said Michael Morrison, executive director of general support services at Island Health. Morrison is especially proud of the program’s commitment to safety, environmental responsibility and value.
“These efforts have resulted in an innovative, cost-effective program that supports our patients and staff.”
The new reusable gowns are more than just sustainable – they also come with a number of new features. They will be equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, which allow VRL to track wash counts and remove gowns from circulation when they reach the end of their lifecycle.
They’re expected to be washed and reused up to 100 times before being recycled. In addition to their high-tech monitoring, the gowns will also be visually inspected after each wash to ensure that those damaged beyond repair are removed. The gowns will be worn by physicians and staff when there are risks of infection or transmission – for instance, when patients are on precautions or if there are risks of contamination.
“These reusable gowns not only exceed industry standards due to the amazing way the laundry processes them, but they also give our teams the confidence to focus on what matters most – delivering exceptional care,” said Lisa Young, IPAC director.
Presently, it’s estimated that about 850,000 disposable gowns are used annually in the VRL region, which services Island Health sites south of Nanaimo. While the program is in its early stages, VRL general manager Chris Walker is optimistic that at least 75 per cent of those will convert into reusable gowns within a year.
If all those gowns are replaced, the program would save Island Health an estimated $2 million and eliminate 77,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
“I’m grateful that Island Health is taking steps to address the environmental impact of health care, and happy to be a small part of it,” said Marie Shuman, a speech-language pathologist who wears the new reusable gowns.
Currently, 15 units at Royal Jubilee Hospital, seven at Victoria General Hospital, and three at Saanich Peninsula Hospital are participating in the program, along with one unit at the Summit long-term care home. Additional units are in the process of coming on board as Island Health anticipates the program’s growth.
