Linen shortage continues; staff urged to conserve

Updated from earlier post.

Asante’s linen supplier, Southern Oregon Linen Services, is still reporting extreme and ongoing staffing shortages, which are affecting its ability to process used linens and ensure a steady supply of clean sheets, towels and other items for Asante’s daily needs.

Leaders are encouraging staff members to take the following measures until further notice:

• Change beds only as needed or on patient request.
• Avoid dropping off clean linens for daily bed changes.
• Refrain from storing clean linens in patient rooms.
• Use sheets rather than blankets when appropriate.
• Make beds using one bottom sheet, one top sheet, one spread and one pillow case.
• Limit use of scrubs and uniforms to OR, sterile procedural areas and sterile processing.

This is the second large-scale linen shortage in three years. In late 2018, a ruptured natural gas line forced Southern Oregon Linen to shut down operations, leaving Asante with only a one- to two-day inventory of bedsheets, blankets, scrubs, gowns and other linens needed for patient care. Asante scrambled for new materials sources while the linen company trucked its laundry to Bend for cleaning. In the end, the disrupted service had no adverse effect on patient care.