102 | Business World Magazine |
November 2013
particular commitment to quality and safety.
What’s more, this is an environment where
all feel encouraged to present their ideas or
suggestions on solutions that might offer op-
erational improvement. For instance, a labor
management committee includes represen-
tatives from each production department
as well as engineers and drivers that deliver
goods. This team meets on a monthly basis
to specifically discuss how to do things bet-
ter. Lark says a safety committee also rou-
tinely meets to discuss strategies from a safe-
ty perspective. An organization newsletter,
the sharing of customer praise and the con-
sistent expression of gratitude (along with
fair pay and benefits) helps keep staff aware
of the value of their work. For all of the au-
tomation, technology and sophisticated en-
gineering augmenting operations at PHSC,
Lark affirms, “Our workers are our greatest
asset ... their dedication is what makes every-
thing we do possible.”
As for future possibilities, atypical of
some laundry operations, Lark says PHSC
has no interest in growth for the mere sake
of growth; its only priority is expanding on
the capacity to provide greater value to the
healthcare systems to which its services are
entrusted. Lark says one advance PHSC has
made involves the production of reusable
surgical packs. She says hospitals are mov-
ing away from the use of disposable products
