94 | Business World Magazine |
November 2013
ty, natural gas and water – it’s a lot to take-on
for any one hospital. During this time, these
healthcare leaders realized that by joining
forces with respect to their laundry opera-
tions, they would not only benefit from sav-
ing on costs, but would also be empowered
to better focus on their core competencies of
tending to the health and wellness needs of
their patients. And so it was, in 1970, princi-
pals from five local area hospitals established
a not-for-profit joint-venture known today
as Portland Hospital Service Corporation
(PHSC). This enterprise has since emerged
as one of the most dynamic operations in the
healthcare laundry industry, annually pro-
cessing more than 24 million pounds of tex-
tiles vital to the needs of 15 hospitals within
the PHSC owner heath care systems of Kai-
ser Permanete Northwest, Legacy Health
System and Providence Health System, as
well as hundreds of medical and dental clin-
ics. In addition to being the largest health-
care textile processor in its region, PHSC is
recognized as an industrymodel of best prac-
tices in operational efficiency, safety and en-
vironmental stewardship, all are byproducts
from the fulfilling of a mission that mandates
what Chief Operating Officer Deborah Lark
defines as “dedication to excellence in prod-
uct, service and fiscal responsibility.”
Chief Operating Officer Deborah Lark with PHSC Staff
