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AHA Endorses Vestex®


CHICAGO, Ill. – The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently announced that it has endorsed Vestagen Technical Textiles, Inc.’s Vestex® Active Barrier Apparel, a protective fabric that combines fluid repellency and antimicrobial technologies embedded into healthcare worker scrubs, lab coats and jackets. AHA Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of the AHA, awards the AHA Endorsement to products and services that help member hospitals and healthcare organizations achieve operational excellence.

Following a proprietary due diligence process, Vestagen’s Vestex apparel was selected based on evidence-based research documenting the effectiveness and safety of Vestex apparel to protect healthcare professionals and reduce the risk of transmission of bacteria from clothing that cause health care acquired infections (HAIs).

“AHA’s data-driven endorsement is a powerful validation of Vestex’s ability to help protect healthcare workers, patients and the public by reducing potentially dangerous bacteria and contamination on clothing,” said Uncas “Ben” B. Favret III, president and CEO of Vestagen. “This endorsement provides confirmation to our distributors, partners and customer base that the protective qualities engineered into Vestex fabrics will perform as promised in real life hospital settings.”

As more studies document that apparel worn in the clinical setting plays a significant role in HAI transmission, more hospitals are requiring staff to wear apparel with fluid repellency and antimicrobial technology, or “active barrier” technology, in an effort to protect them from body fluids and decrease germ transmission risk.

Contaminated clothing is a known carrier of bacteria, and healthcare workers have the highest rate of illness of any occupation in the U.S. Contamination with difficult-to-treat organisms such as MRSA and c. difficile puts workers at risk and are responsible for many of the most serious HAIs. A peer-reviewed published study confirmed that Vestex-protected nurse scrub uniforms (which utilized Vestex’s combination of a fluorine/silicon oxide body fluid repellent and a quaternary ammonium antimicrobial) demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in MRSA of more than 99.99% compared to the non-protective scrub uniforms used in many hospitals today, according to Vestagen.

“Vestagen’s AHA Endorsed solutions stand out for their effectiveness and safety performance, potential cost savings and patient preference, as demonstrated by published research results,” said Anthony Burke, senior vice president of the AHA, and president and CEO of AHA Solutions, Inc. “

“We are pleased that the AHA prioritized a thorough evaluation of solutions to combat the growing issue of healthcare apparel contamination and are honored to be recognized as meeting its criteria for excellence,” said Favret. “As the first in a new class of technology-based, active barrier protective fabrics, Vestex elevates the standard for healthcare worker and patient safety and will help healthcare organizations strengthen their culture of safety and enhance patient care.”