Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWire) -- 01/22/2018 --ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists, a healthcare laundry service provider that serves medical facilities in Long Beach, CA, and other regions across the United States and Puerto Rico, shares observations on industry consolidation and change management in the healthcare industry.

Growing health systems are continuing to merge and expand, changing the industry landscape, and with it, the future of healthcare, says ImageFIRST. The medical linen provider advised customers that change management in healthcare is "the new normal," and shared insights on the nature of these changes and how to approach them.

Among the most notable of these changes discussed in a variety of news outlets last year is the growing emphasis on consumerism in healthcare. For example, an increasing number of patients use apps to compare and review healthcare providers in the same way they might decide on a restaurant. Heightened consumerism has shown to be increasing competition among healthcare providers; therefore, providers who offer high-quality care at lower prices will win the most customers.

ImageFIRST also notes that high deductibles plans have been on the rise. As a result, patients are increasingly seeking care at outpatient facilities, since hospitals are too expensive for those who are not seriously ill to spend an extended period of time there. High deductible plans appear to also increase consumerism and will, as a result, encourage patients to shop for quality and value.

All these changes impact medical professionals and in turn, can sometimes have an adverse effect on staff – as change often does. But when companies face change, active change management is more effective in keeping stress levels down and staff engaged than reactively reacting. In fact, research shows that change management at a large scale is most effective with the input and engagement of staff members at all levels of the organization.

ImageFIRST provides medical laundry management solutions to customers across the country. As a provider of scrubs, patient gowns, healthcare bed linens and blankets, and other products in San Diego, CA (and beyond), ImageFIRST's services are designed to take the burden of linen management away from medical staff so that they can focus on patient care.

Learn more by calling 800-932-7472 or visiting http://la.imagefirst.com/.

About ImageFIRST
Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST® is the largest and fastest growing national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market. ImageFIRST's 36 locations nationwide serve over 11,000 medical facilities every week providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs and more while managing their clients' linen inventory for cost management. With a customer retention rate of over 95%, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction through quality products and remarkable service: their Comfort Care® line of gowns are proven to increase patients' favorable perception of a facility by more than 50%. For more information about ImageFIRST, your cost-effective solution for greater patient satisfaction, please visit http://la.imagefirst.com/.