Marlene Linders is executive director of The Linders Health Institute, and president and CEO of Philders Group International. Linders holds bachelor’s degrees in architecture and nursing science, as well as a master’s degree in science. She focuses on where these disciplines intersect. 

The Linders Health Institute addresses safety, compliance and exposure risks during construction of healthcare buildings and the built environment. The Institute’s Infection Control Risk Assessment course overviews the impact construction has regarding infection control, emerging infectious diseases in the built environment (including air and waterborne pathogens and MRSA) as well as exposure of risks during construction for healthcare facilities. The program has obtained global recognition and is now used as the U.S. Green Building Council’s course for healthcare and by the American Institute of Architects for continuing education. 

Philders Group International is a consulting firm that provides strategic positioning to companies that want to gain access to, or increase their footprint in, the healthcare market. It provides education and corporate risk management programs for infection prevention to the AEC, contractor, real estate management, educational and healthcare industries. The firm acts as a medical resource and provider for ongoing education and compliance programs, designed help clients function at a lower liability and risk. 

In this episode of Ask the Expert, Linders shares insights on infectious disease and cross contamination control for restoration contractors – from how to gain more business in this space, to tips on disinfection and decontamination services, to mitigating exposure risks. 

This episode covers:

• The most common reasons restoration companies reach out to Linders for help and the solutions offered
• Healthcare facilities and large commercial spaces as the “gold standards” of infectious disease control, including the unique precautions, procedures, etc., these facilities expect from construction and restoration contractors
• Tips for restoration contractors from Linders’ training program, “The Fundamentals of Infection Control in the Environment of Care for Healthcare Contractors”
• Top infectious disease exposure risks to contractor safety, as well as customer safety, and how to mitigate them
• The opportunity gap Linders sees for restoration and remediation professionals – that they need help “speaking the language” of healthcare and certain commercial markets
• What restoration contractors can do, or do better, to seize on these opportunities in healthcare, office spaces, malls, hotels and more
• Notable case studies in infection control and prevention that restoration and remediation contractors can learn from
• The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the relationship between property restoration companies and infectious disease control
• Advice for restoration contractors who are offering COVID-19 disinfection services, or thinking about adding those services 

Check out this episode of Ask the Expert to learn more. You can watch the video here or listen to the audio version of our conversation here. You can also find our show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Just search for Restoration & Remediation Ask the Expert, then hit Follow.