June 2013
| Business World Magazine | 99
ductivity, Hernandez answers, “Take care of
your employees first, and the rest will come.”
NTHCL’s staff hail from as many as
14 different countries, and Hernandez says
his organization especially values diversity.
That diversity has routinely prompted staff
gatherings that are as much a cultural cel-
ebration as they are employee recognition
events. Otherwise, Hernandez explains that
employees are made aware that their time
and service is valued and their feedback is
genuinely wanted. He says that should a
problem ever be identified, one of the advan-
tages of diversity from 14 countries is hav-
ing 14 different perspectives on the solution.
Such practices and philosophy has helped
NTHCL also achieve recognition as one of
Texas’ best places to work.
FUTURE INNOVATION
Hernandez says NTHCL is constantly mea-
suring and monitoring operations to deter-
mine how it can improve on services, but that
also means monitoring trends in healthcare
in order to rapidly impart solutions to its cus-
tomers. While that focus has prompted in-
vestment in its own infrastructure and tech-
nical systems, Hernandez explains NTHCL
will soon deploy new innovations. For ex-
ample, while bed linens, patient gowns, wash
cloths and scrubs typically tend to dominate
so much of what laundries process, Hernan-
dez says the Joint Commission has indicated
increasing attention to the window curtain
and dividing curtains which can also harbor
unwanted microbial elements that can cause
infection. He anticipates regulations that
will mandate that these fabrics are also rou-
tinely cleaned. Inspectors may even point to
a curtain and ask when it was last cleaned.
To help healthcare providers respond to that
question, NTHCL is preparing to deploy
a bar-coded tag that will allow for a simple
scan from a hand-held device that will then
indicate the date and time the material was
last serviced. Hernandez says little services
such as this contribute to the large support
NTHCL provides to healthcare.
By advancing on solutions that serve
heath care, by adhering to standards that
reflect the greatest quality in the trade, and
by fostering an environment that compels
productivity through employee respect and
appreciation, the North Texas Health Care
Laundry has emerged as more than a leader
of the Lone Star State, but a leader in its in-
dustry.
