You put on a lead apron and assume it's keeping you safe. But what if it's carrying MRSA, ringworm, and nearly 10 times the bacteria of a gas station pump handle? Even worse, what if nobody's required to clean it?

Justin McKay, founder of RadCare Services, joins Dr. Adam Brown and Dr. Lara Zibners to share how a ringworm infection, a torn-up apron on his first day in the OR, and a year of quietly studying hospitals across the country led him to build something the healthcare industry didn't even know it needed: a full-service lead apron cleaning, repair, and compliance program.

In this episode, we dig into the disgusting (and dangerous) reality of radiation protection garments in U.S. hospitals from blood and fecal-stained aprons going right back on the rack, to a culture study that found MRSA on the majority of aprons tested. Justin shares the moment a skeptical surgical director called his pitch "snake oil," so he tested her busiest surgeon's apron on the spot. The results were jaw-dropping.

We also talk about the uphill battle of building a business around a problem no one is required to fix, why financial incentives in healthcare make or break innovation, and what gives Justin hope for the future of medicine.

In this episode:

• Why hospital lead aprons are virtually unregulated for cleanliness in the U.S.
• The ATP test that proved aprons are nearly 10x dirtier than gas pump handles
• How a 2017 lawsuit tied defective PPE to cancer deaths among OR staff
• The founder's journey: quitting a VP of sales job, two years without a paycheck, and bootstrapping a new business

Follow Unstable Vitals:

LinkedIn

Instagram

Youtube