Healthcare Laundry Best Practices: A Q&A with Carol McLay, DrPH, RN, CIC

Article

Infection Control Today spoke with Carol McLay, DrPH, RN, CIC, an infection prevention consultant in Lexington, Ky. who authored the chapter on "Laundry, Patient Linens, Textiles and Uniforms" in the APIC Text. She provides her insights on proper healthcare textiles handling as well as the role that infection preventionists can play in the education and training of laundry services personnel regarding bloodborne pathogen-exposure prevention.

Infection Control Today spoke with Carol McLay, DrPH, RN, CIC, an infection prevention consultant in Lexington, Ky. who authored the chapter on "Laundry, Patient Linens, Textiles and Uniforms" in the APIC Text. She provides her insights on proper healthcare textiles handling as well as the role that infection preventionists can play in the education and training of laundry services personnel regarding bloodborne pathogen-exposure prevention.

  • Review the most common health and safety breaches in the healthcare laundry department
  • Learn about the imperatives related to bloodborne pathogen exposure that healthcare laundry professionals must keep in mind
  • Discover strategies to mitigate risks to healthcare laundry services professionals
Recent Videos
Physicians Sound Alarm: Vaccine Misinformation and Policy Failures Threaten US Public Health
Anna Castillo-Gutierrez, CRCST, CSPDT, CHL, CIS, CFER, and Maya Luera, CRCST, CIS, CER, CHL
Lucy Witt, MD
Chase Elms, BS, CRCST
Garrett Hollembeak, CRCST, CIS, CHL, CER, CIC
Hannah Schroeder, BSHA, CRCST, CIS, CHL, CER,
Anthony Bondon CRCST, CHL, BSM, AAS, SME, LSSYB
Deannard Esnard, CRCST, CIS, CER, CHL, CFER, CQUIA
Kevin Bush, Jr, DHSc, EdD, MSHA, MA, MS, FACHE
Vatsala Rangachar Srinivasa, MPH
Related Content
Simone Godwin, DVM, MPH, CIC

Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium Outbreak at Surgery Center Highlights Infection Control Lapses

Alexander Sundermann, DrPH, CIC, FAPIC
May 13th 2025
Article

A rare Tennessee outbreak of Mycobacterium fortuitum revealed deep gaps in infection prevention at outpatient surgery centers—where oversight, staffing, and reporting often fall short.

The disbanding of HICPAC (Adobe Stock)

In the Wake of HICPAC: How APIC is Leading the Fight to Preserve National Infection Prevention Standards

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
May 13th 2025
Article

The disbanding of HICPAC has left infection prevention experts scrambling to preserve national standards and ensure continuity amid growing concern over science-driven public health policy. Connie Steed, MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, speaks with ICT.

Hot Topics in Infection Prevention With Saskia v. Popescu

Hot Topics in IPC for May 9, 2025: HICPAC, Measles, H5N1, and More

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC
May 9th 2025
Article

This week’s Infection Control Today’s Hot Topics in IPC discusses the latest in the measles outbreak, H5N1 in cattle herds, HICPAC, and more.

CDC: HICPAC Silenced (Adobe Stock)

The Disbanding of HICPAC: A Dangerous Silencing in the Fight Against Health Care-Associated Infections

Heather Stoltzfus, MPH, RN, CIC
May 8th 2025
Article

The abrupt disbanding of HICPAC silences decades of infection control expertise, leaving health care workers without unified guidance as deadly threats to patient safety rise.

Endoscopy at the hospital. Doctor holding endoscope before gastroscopy (Adobe Stock by romaset)

Endoscopes and Lumened Instruments: New Studies Highlight Persistent Contamination Risks

Alexander Sundermann, DrPH, CIC, FAPIC
May 7th 2025
Article

Two new studies reveal troubling contamination in both new endoscopes and cleaned lumened surgical instruments, challenging the reliability of current reprocessing practices and manufacturer guidelines.

Policy: FY26 Discretionary Budget (AI image created by author)

The Chopping Block: Administration’s FY26 Discretionary Budget Proposal Targets Public Health Lifelines

Brenna Doran, PhD, MA, ACC, CIC
May 5th 2025
Article

The proposed elimination of ASPR’s Hospital Preparedness Program in the 2026 federal budget could dismantle essential emergency readiness infrastructure and jeopardize national health care safety.