Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council Names Two New Board Members

The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) has elected two new members to its board of directors: Jeffrey Courey, chief operating officer of George Courey Inc., a leading North American linen wholesaler; and Linda McCurdy, president and chief executive officer of K-Bro Linen Systems Inc., Canada's largest provider of healthcare and hospitality laundry and linen services. Three current board members, Joan Blanchard, MSS, BSN, RN, CNOR, CIC; Philip A. Sharp; and Bradley J. Bushman have been re-elected to new terms. Terms are for three years, effective Jan. 1, 2017.
   
HLAC is the nonprofit organization that inspects and accredits laundries processing textiles for hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities. HLAC's voluntary board of directors comprises a cross section of objective experts with experience in infection prevention, environmental services, laundry operations and government inspection.

Courey, as COO of George Courey Inc., is a fourth-generation member of the 106-year-old, Montreal-based family business with a healthcare laundry specialty. He is a member of ABLASQ, the association of laundry and healthcare associates in Quebec. He has actively participated in American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) and International Association of Healthcare Textile Managers (IAHTM) events as well as with various linen conferences and conventions around the world.
   
McCurdy's company, K-Bro Linen Systems, Inc., processes 135 million pounds of healthcare laundry in nine plants annually and has a customer base that includes hundreds of regional health authorities, hospitals, nursing homes and private surgical clinics. Her role as president and CEO involves collaborating with a diverse cross-section of caregivers, department heads, infection prevention specialists and senior executives.
    
"Jeffrey Courey and Linda McCurdy have a passion for this industry that is, in many ways, unique and unmatched," said John Scherberger, HLAC board president. "They have a clear understanding of the role laundry workers and operators have in providing patient care and staff safety. They share a vision of growth for HLAC and its standards that will help guide the organization in future years. We're happy to have Jeffrey and Linda on board."