THUNDER BAY – Health – With a total of 29 full-time and part-time staff ensuring that the hospital is supplied with clean and sterile linens, the laundry and linen department at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is a bustling place. 

Sorting 8,300 pounds of dirty linen a day, loading washers or dryers, ironing, folding, mending or stacking carts with clean linen, these employees are always on the move to ensure that the day’s work is complete.

Laundry Service at the TBRHSC

Hospital employees and patients both depend on this department to provide clean linen and other supplies in a timely and efficient manner. “Laundry and Linen is one of the ‘invisible’ services integral to patient care,” says Nick Cavezza, department manager. “We’re part of the healthcare team contributing towards effective and efficient patient care at our Health Sciences Centre.”

[sws_pullquote_right]Sorting 8,300 pounds of dirty linen a day, loading washers or dryers, ironing, folding, mending or stacking carts with clean linen, these employees are always on the move to ensure that the day’s work is complete [/sws_pullquote_right]

Laundry and linen employees work in staggered shifts from 5:00 am to 2:30 pm seven days a week. Although each team member has a job to do, they rotate regularly throughout the day and are always ready and willing to lend a hand where needed.

Clean and sterile linens and gowns are essential to protect the health and safety of patients and workers and it takes a dedicated team to get the job done.

That dedication was recognized this year as the Laundry and Linen Services team was presented with the Walk the Talk award for exhibiting collaborative teamwork and a commitment to excellence. Walk the Talk awards are presented annually to volunteers, physicians and staff members who demonstrate commitment to patient and family centered care, to their team and the organization, as well as excellence in contributing to the mission, vision and values of TBRHSC.

Deb Frederickson says that she and her colleagues feel respected and valued and that they can bounce ideas off each other for ways to improve efficiency, an atmosphere, she says, has a lot to with the department’s manager, Nick Cavezza. “Just as in sports, to work well as a team, you need a very good leader,” says Frederickson. 

A former front line worker himself, Cavezza says he believes a big part of the team’s success is employees “buying in.” “I am a firm believer in staff having input,” says Cavezza.

Frederickson says the success of any team depends on respect and a good leader. “His door is always open and he’s willing to take our suggestions for improvements,” she says. “He makes it easy to work as a team.”

Did you know?

• Work in Laundry and Linen Services begins at 5:00 am daily.
• The majority of linens are folded by automated equipment.
• All loads of laundry are washed at 170˚C.
• All cleaning chemicals are automatically injected into laundry machines