Topics :

Nova Scotia Nurses , Capital District Health Authority , NDP , Nova Scotia , Windsor , New Brunswick

A small business owner in downtown Windsor is baffled by Capital Health’s decision to award a $500,000 medical uniform contract to a company in New Brunswick.

Heather Donohue, of HENS uniforms, says business started slowing at her shop on Gerrish Street in April 2011, when it became clear a new uniform policy was in the works that would require members of the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union (NSNU) to buy new scrubs.

What wasn’t clear for months, however, was what those new scrubs would look like — and who would supply them.

“Nobody knew what they were going to be able to wear… so they just stopped buying,” Donohue said in an interview from her shop.

She said the uniform contract negotiations made it difficult to order stock for RNs, LPNs and nurse practitioners. By December, she had noted a 90 per cent decline in the sale of medical scrubs from the previous year.

To cope with the lost revenue, Donohue says she had to layoff one full-time employee, and demoted another worker to a casual position.

When the nurses union voted in favour of its members wearing black and white uniforms at the end of October, the Capital District Health Authority, issued a call for bids on behalf of all of the health districts in the province for a three-year supply contract worth $500,000 annually.

Midway through the tender process, Donohue withdrew her bid.

“I found it difficult to be competitive on price for several reasons: we pay more tax, we pay high fuel costs, we pay outrageous power costs,” she said, speaking as a small business owner in Nova Scotia.

Donohue says can accept that she was unable to contend with larger businesses in the tender process; what she’s struggling to comprehend is why the project went to tender in the first place.

“It was unnecessary to go out to tender on this project. They could have very easily written the policy that says, ‘This is how you have to look — black pants, white shirt, it has to be a uniform — here’s your $100, go buy.’”

Instead, each NSNU member will be granted a $100 allowance for purchasing scrubs from Maritime Laundry and Textile Products in Riverview, N.B.

“As a taxpayer, to watch my money leave the province at no benefit to the Province of Nova Scotia, I was outraged.”

In a letter addressed to Hants West MLA Chuck Porter, Donohue said she wants answers.

“I would like to invite representatives from Capital Health, the Minister of Health and Wellness and the NSNU to visit my store. I would like them to look me in the eye and justify their decisions. I would like them to personally see what they’ve done,” she wrote.

Porter, a Progressive Conservative MLA, says he’ll be pushing for answers from the NDP when the legislature reconvenes in the spring.

“My opinion is that spending taxpayers’ money outside of the province does nothing to help the local economy in Nova Scotia,” Porter said.

“I have no idea what they were thinking, whatsoever. It is absolutely the wrong direction. There is no question about that. This is disgraceful, in my opinion.”

Porter says the NDP missed a perfect opportunity to support small businesses throughout the province.

“They could have given the nurses $100 each… and said go purchase your uniforms locally.”

Capital Health spokesman John Gillis said the contract was awarded to a company that offered the best price, and had the ability to meet the supply needs of about 5,000 people.

“The value of the contract was expected to be about $500,000 regardless of the supplier based on the allowance of $100 per nurse. By having one vendor, the province was able to obtain the best possible pricing for the uniforms based on the volume of uniforms purchased,” Gillis wrote in an email to The Hants Journal.

“As a taxpayer, to watch my money leave the province at no benefit to the Province of Nova Scotia, I was outraged.” - Heather Donohue

Gillis noted that staff will be able to purchase up to four full uniforms, depending on the style selected, and some of the work will be sub-contracted to a company in Cape Breton.

In his explanation of why the uniform contract went to tender, Gillis said, “The district health authorities have been working together to combine their purchasing power in order to reduce costs, be more efficient and make the best possible use of taxpayer dollars funding the health care system. In the first year of operating a Group Purchasing Organization, the districts saw approximately $5 million in savings.”

As for business at HENS, Donohue says her goose isn’t cooked yet.

“From a business perspective, it is a struggle… but I’ll make it. I’ll readjust and reevaluate and diversify yet again,” she said.

She has opened a consignment section for old scrubs NSNU members can no longer use to help the nurses sell their old uniforms. Damaged scrubs will be recycled and used to make caps for chemotherapy patients, and quilts to donate to hospital fundraisers.

Donohue says support from CCAs, vets, dentists and chefs has kept her afloat in the slow period, but she hopes to see her old friends with the NSNU back at HENS soon.

“I really hope that the RNs that are involved are still able to shop from my store. I’ve bought for them. It’s hanging here; I hope they can buy it.”

Click the link Below for the original article.  Sourced and quoted  from “The Hants Journal”.

http://www.hantsjournal.ca/Business/2012-02-07/article-2888049/HENS-takes-hit-in-tender-process/1

We have increased our shipping charges for 2012.
Please see below for the changes:

1 – 8 Items – $9.00     (was previously $8.15)

9-18 Items – $15.00      (was previously $13.00)

19+ Items – $25.00     (was previously $22.00)

These changes are to reflect the increased cost of shipping, which has been gradually rising over the last few years.
This is our first increase to our shipping charges since 2007.

We look forward to serving you this year!

For the first time in a VERY long time, we’re clearing out all of our in-stock #88 body flex separates!  Available in a variety of colours, these are on for only $10.00/each!  Good stock available in some colours, and others have already been cleared out.  Click HERE to go to our website to take a look!

Offer valid while still available!

Click HERE to see our Sale Section

1.  Purchase high quality scrubs.  Anytime you purchase any article of clothing, not just your nursing scrubs or medical uniform, if the fabric is not high quality, it will pill, wrinkle, stain, and wear faster than if you had purchased a better quality product.  Stay away from those scrubs that are advertised for $4.99.  They may as well be disposable scrubs.  You can wear them once or twice before having to replace them, and therefore you end up spending more on the cheap scrubs than you would have on the designer scrubs.

2.  Separate your scrubs into categories and do not co-mingle those categories in the washer.  Whites, darks (your navy scrubs and black scrubs can be washed together), reds (you can also wash pink scrubs with red scrubs), light colors that are not white and do not fit into any other category, and finally your “other colored” scrubs (green scrubs, turquoise scrubs, etc.)  Not only will this prevent ‘bleeding’ and unintentional dyeing, it will also prevent pilling.

3.  Always wash your medical scrubs in cold water.  Cold water will trap the dye in the fabric so that it stays in the fabric where it belongs, thus less fading and bleeding.  Warm water will promote that dye to leak out, which will automatically fade your scrubs.  You do not want your black scrubs to slightly resemble grey scrubs after just one or two washes.

4.  Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water before you add any detergent or clothing.  Vinegar prevents “bleeding” of fabrics.  It is also a great disinfectant, so you kill two birds with one stone.

5.  Wash your scrubs on the delicate cycle.  Your medical uniform will last about ten times longer if you always wash it on the delicate cycle.  Feel free to wash all of your clothes on the delicate cycle.

6.  Use a mild liquid detergent (Gain always seems to work well.)  Let the water get sudsy before you put your scrubs in. Feel free to throw in a little bleach with the whites only.  Do not buy that Oxy stuff.  It is murder on fabric.

7.  Do not add liquid fabric softener.  Just don’t do it.  Dryer sheets are fine.

8.  And finally, if you have time to line dry or flat dry your scrubs, they will last longer.  But, if you live in the real world with the rest of us, throw those bad boys in the dryer on the lowest setting possible.  Your scrubs shouldn’t shrink after they have been washed once or twice, so always start with a lower heat setting and you can increase it the next time you wash and dry your nursing scrubs.

Should you get stains on your hospital scrubs (or should I say ‘when you get stains on your hospital scrubs’) will be discussed in another article, where we will discuss the fabric type, color, and the stain type and severity.  A quick tip:  you can get blood out with hydrogen peroxide.

Follow the washing tips above and your scrubs will look better for longer.

taken from About.com, “blueskyscrubs”:

If you’re not already a subscriber to our email newsletter, we’ve heavily reduced the prices on many of our scrub sets.
We need to clear these out and make space for our new styles coming in!  Check out our sale section online to take advantage of these phenomenal deals!  We have scrub sets sale priced from $10.00 (Yes for the Top AND Bottom!)

#350 Pants shown in “Carbon”

For Men & Women:
#703 3/4 Lab coat – This is your standard 3/4 length notched collar coat.  With one chest pocket, and two front pockets, this is a very popular coat.

#712 Full Length Lab Coat – Our best-selling unisex coat featuring a notched collar, and three pockets on the front.  These also have reinforced side slits so that you can access your pockets in what you’re wearing underneath.  These go from XXSmall, up to XXLarge.

For Women:

#40 3/4 Length Lab Coat – Featuring an adjustable drawstring back, these are made to fit a bit more snug than our unisex options.  Stylish angled front pockets, and a notched collar with a button up front.

#2901 Four Pocket Lab Coat – These have a double pocket on the front, and a back belt detail.  Featuring princess seams for a more contoured fit.  Also made to fit more snug than the unisex options.

Click HERE to view all of the styles on our website.

For Men:

#280 Zip Front Professional Jacket – Short sleeved!  Featuring a zip front with three front pockets.  This is a classic mens jacket available in three different colors.

Take a look at our website to see the rest of the styles, and please note that most of these styles are available in White & Black, as well as other colors for the mens jacket.