There are many factors that go into providing patients with a satisfying experience when they are in a medical facility, even down to the sheets that they sleep on and the gowns and robes that they wear. Since 1967, ImageFIRST has been catering to the needs of outpatient facilities, doctors’ offices and hospitals that know the importance of keeping patients comfortable while still keeping costs down.
This second generation, family-owned business started as a small, regional company that rapidly expanded its reach nationally; it has been serving the South Florida market for approximately 10 years. “While patient care has always been important, in the last three to five years, we’ve seen medical facilities begin placing an even greater focus on patient satisfaction; there is definitely heightened awareness,” explained Jay Juffre, vice president, South East Region, ImageFIRST. “We’ve been very successful in looking for ways that we can improve patient care while still controlling costs, which is a balance that medical executives and administrators are always trying to reach.”According to Juffre, the entire team at ImageFIRST is focused on providing quality products, which include sheets, robes, scrubs, gowns and pillowcases, among other items. “Whether a patient is getting good news or bad news, being comfortable impacts that experience,” he explained.
Safety is paramount, too, which is why the company only deals in medical linens as a way to avoid cross-contamination between their products and linens used for other purposes, such as those utilized in the service industry. “We also offer Triple BioShield Protection, which sanitizes the products as they are being washed,” said Juffre. “Our products, which are wrapped in plastic when they are delivered, continue to be safe for up to 30 days.”
Almost as important as patient satisfaction is client satisfaction, so ImageFIRST appoints a Customer Advocate to each client that manages each facility’s inventory on a weekly or as-needed basis. “Our customers aren’t dealing with a driver who just picks up and drops off laundry; the Customer Advocate manages the entire linen program so that medical staff can spend more time with patients,” said Juffre. “Why should a nurse whose primary job is to take care of patients waste time putting blankets in a warmer or putting linens away?”
ImageFIRST’s inventory system and billing system are completely transparent, and clients can even access their inventory levels online. Clients can receive an email after products are delivered documenting what the company has done, and ImageFIRST also developed a medically safe, UHF RFID tagging process that enables them to go onsite and scan clean scrubs, robes and other garments to make sure that a client has enough inventory on hand. Dirty garments are also scanned onsite at the plant to ensure that each facility is receiving the same items back that they turned in.
There is even an Instant Service App for Smartphones that allows clients to connect with their customer advocate effortlessly, and ImageFIRST also offers Same-Day Linen Rescue, which enables clients to request extra products in times of larger caseloads. “If doctors or staff don’t have enough scrubs or linen, it can create chaos, which again, takes the focus away from patients,” said Juffre. “By taking advantage of technology, we can assure them that they have enough items to get through the week.”
Because of this focus on patient and client satisfaction, ImageFIRST has a more than 95 percent retention rate, including customers that have been with them for decades. “We don’t want short-term customers; we want them for life,” said Juffre. “As our clients’ needs continue to evolve, we will evolve with them.”
