November 2, 2017
About a month ago, I received an email from Karl Soderquist asking if a group of people from New Zealand could visit the Worcester DME Reuse Center. Karl is the owner of the New Hampshire-based company, HUBSCRUB. He sold REquipment HUBSCRUB cleaning units for our Canton, Worcester and Amherst locations.
What, you might ask, is a HUBSCRUB?
A HUBSCRUB is a powerful “washing machine” for medical equipment. Have you ever wondered how we clean and sanitize all those donations of large devices? Well, a HUBSCRUB is large enough to handle several wheelchairs, tub seats, rollators, etc., all at once! The machine cleans, rinses and disinfects quickly and thoroughly and saves staff a considerable amount of time and energy.
I told Karl that of course, we would be delighted to demonstrate the HUBSCRUB to his visitors from “down under,” and last Friday we did just that. We met five travelers from New Zealand to show off the HUBSCRUB and the Reuse Center in Worcester.
Leading the group was Karen Beard-Greer, CEO of Independent Living Service New Zealand in Auckland. In addition to offering independent living services, her agency operates four durable medical equipment programs around the Auckland area. She was accompanied by three of her staff members who were interested in seeing the HUBSCRUB in operation to determine if they want to invest in the equipment.
Stacy, our cleaner/technician, demonstrated how she uses the HUBSCRUB system, including the cleaning solutions used and time it takes to process DME. She also answered lots of questions!
We gave our enthusiastic support for the HUBCSRUB. We highlighted the value the machines have brought to our program, emphasizing not only the amount of cleaning time they save us but also that their UV lights kill the most dangerous pathogens.
Since we were “in the building” in Worcester, we also did a quick tour of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) AT Center. We showed off the amazing equipment customization and fabrication services the DDS technicians accomplish there for individuals who are eligible for DDS services. The group was very impressed with our co-located operation, and everyone had a very good time learning from one another.
The HUBSCRUB is a nifty invention from right here in New England that is getting adopted by DME reuse programs around North America and now, perhaps, the world. I told Karl that if the folks from Auckland do purchase the HUBSCRUB units, he will certainly have a great getaway destination for the annual service call!