ROSWELL, Ga., May 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark Health Care recently crowned the champion of the inaugural Smart-Fold Wrap Races at the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) Annual Conference and Expo in Columbus, Ohio. Naomi Campbell from Brandywine Hospital was declared the fastest sterilization wrapper, beating out central services (CS) professionals from across the United States and Canada. The timed, head-to-head wrapping competition spotlighted how Smart-Fold Sterilization Wrap enhances the skills of CS professionals by enabling them to wrap quickly and efficiently.

Smart-Fold Wrap Race
The 2014 Smart-Fold Wrap Race competition is designed to test the wrapping skills and speed of CS professionals using Smart-Fold Sterilization Wrap. More than 170 wrappers across North America entered the contest and after several rounds of competition, the wrappers with the four fastest times traveled to IAHCSMM to determine the fastest wrapper. The final four contestants were:

1. Rebecca Allen, Methodist Hospital, Omaha, Neb.
2. Naomi Campbell, Brandywine Hospital, Coatesville, Pa.
3. Patty Fuller, Saint Luke's Northland, Kansas City, Mo.
4. Nataliya Fried, Gillette Children's Hospital, St. Paul, Minn.

In the final round, Naomi Campbell was named Smart-Fold Wrap Race Champion, wrapping three surgical instrument trays in just 34.0 seconds.

"Year after year, it is a great honor for us to sponsor the IAHCSMM Conference, as it reinforces our belief that central services professionals are critical to preventing infections in the healthcare setting," said Lon Taylor, Marketing Director, Surgical & Infection Prevention, Kimberly-Clark Health Care. "By hosting both the Smart-Fold Wrap Races and the Confidence Builder Awards, we are able to shed light on the serious issue of sterilization processes with fun and lighthearted events that recognize the important work these professionals contribute to the operating room each and every day." 

A video of the 2014 Smart-Fold Wrap Race Finals is available at: http://www.kchealthcare.com/wrap-race-2014.aspx.

Confidence Builder Awards
Kimberly-Clark Health Care also honored two winners of the annual Confidence Builder Awards at the conference. The Confidence Builder Awards, sponsored by Kimberly-Clark Health Care, recognize Sterile Processing Departments that are building confidence within their organization with programs that empower the CS team and the hospital to deliver the best in patient outcomes. This year's winners are:

• Central Supply Department (CSD) at HIMA San Pablo Caguas, Puerto Rico – The CS supervisor at HIMA San Pablo Caguas created a new strategy to change the way education was delivered to the rest of the CS team, designed to be engaging to every team member. Each team member was assigned a topic to research from the Central Services Technical Manual and was tasked with presenting their findings to the rest of the team. After a few weeks, each individual team member took it upon themselves to dive deeper into the content and created Power Point presentations to educate the team. As a result, enthusiasm for education spread throughout the CS team to help extend knowledge and improve outcomes. 
• Central Services Processing Department at Sanford Health, Fargo, N.D. – The team at Sanford Health, Fargo developed a CS council with members elected by their peers to generate ideas for improvement, improve morale and build confidence within the department. The council uses everyday Lean concepts to focus on process improvement and encourages all team members to submit ideas. Implementing ideas submitted by employees reminds all team members that their contributions matter, thereby boosting confidence. The council also implemented Friday Trivia and a Giving Tree to boost morale and remind employees of their importance to the CS team.

The Confidence Builder Award winners were recognized during the 2014 IAHCSMM Annual Conference and Expo and received an engraved plaque and educational grant for their facility.

About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex^®, Scott^®, Huggies^®, Pull-Ups^®, Kotex^® and Depend^®, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the Company's 142-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.  

Kimberly-Clark in the Healthcare Environment
Around the world, medical professionals turn to Kimberly-Clark for a wide portfolio of solutions that improve the health, hygiene and well-being of their patients and staff. As part of their healing mission, caregivers rely on Kimberly-Clark to deliver clinical solutions, hygiene & cleaning offerings, and educational resources that they can depend on to prevent, diagnose and manage a wide variety of healthcare-associated infections. A global enterprise of more than $1 billion, Kimberly-Clark Health Care holds the No. 1 or No. 2 market share position in several categories, including infection control solutions, surgical solutions, pain management, hygiene solutions, digestive health and respiratory health. And throughout the care continuum, patients and staff alike trust Kimberly-Clark medical supplies and devices, KLEENEX^® tissues, KLEENEX^® & SCOTT^® skin care products and SCOTT^® towels for day-to-day needs. For more information, visit http://www.kchealthcare.com and http://www.kcprofessional.com.

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SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Health Care