“The Inova team’s innovation is more functional, sustainable, and not vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, ensuring that healthcare workers have the necessary PPE to prevent the spread of infections. We are grateful to them for sharing their success with a broader audience.” said 2022 APIC President Linda Dickey, RN, MPH, CIC, FAPIC.

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"Inova leaders and La Forma decided to work together to create a reusable gown that fits better, is easier to take on and off, and can be reused up to 100 times. The two organizations worked closely, soliciting feedback from nurses and staff to improve the gown, sometimes meeting over late-night Zoom calls."

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"By designing and producing a custom, reusable isolation gown, Inova Health System, based in the Washington D.C. suburbs, ensured adequate supply of their second-most used type of PPE, while also eliminating 213 tons of waste per year."

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One of the key innovations of this new gown design is the pull cord at the front. “In previous gowns that we used, there's a tie in the back that you'd have to undo; you take your hands behind your neck and untie,” she explained that untying could be difficult for some people. However, she continued, “This new gown has a pull cord on the left shoulder. In 1 swift motion, when you pull down, that [movement] automatically will undo the snaps in the back. So that pull cord is something that we've not seen in isolation guys before.”

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