Safety - October 2013
Going green in managing waste can be cost effective
Minimizing what goes into the trash can and save money on supplies, resources and operations
10/31/2013
Vinyl flooring linked to potentially harmful substances
Flooring contains potentially dangerous phthalates which are also food packaging, medical devices, and even pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and soaps
10/30/2013
Keeping chiropractic tables clean
Study says only 62 percent of chiropractors had a routine chiropractic table disinfection protocol in place
10/30/2013
Memorial Hermann Healthcare System engineering a fail-safe health system
Quality departments were centralized, all employees were trained on the principles of high reliability, protocols were created for most medical procedures
10/29/2013
Washington hospital prepares for disaster
Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington participates in a state-wide earthquake drill
10/28/2013
Social network model proposed to fight hospital infections
Study focused on interactions between patients and healthcare workers and the multiple competing factors that can affect transmission
10/28/2013
Ten major infection control stories from the summer and fall
Last five months have been eventful for infection control
10/28/2013
Hospital team's response during Marathon bombings offers lessons for management under pressure.
Successful medical response in Boston was based on relationships across disciplines
10/25/2013
What's holding us back from handwashing?
A nurse who survived a severe hospital acquired infection and the physician who created "My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene" program discuss handwashing compliance
10/25/2013
Thai healthcare system disaster management looks at Japan model
After tsunami, Japanese hospital has disaster-emergency unit staffed by a team of five permanent medical team
10/24/2013
Three of Ireland's major hospitals reported to have serious infection risks
Inspectors say patients are at serious risk of infection or scalding, while some medical equipment was dirty and staff failed to wash their hands
10/24/2013
Study shows low levels of hand hygiene compliance in pediatric hospitals
Education about the appropriate use of alcohol-based hand rub recommended for these facilities
10/23/2013
Connecticut hospital tests and trains emergency responders
Nearly 100 hospital employees, local emergency responders, volunteers and high school students took part in a mock disaster drill at Milford Hospital
10/23/2013
Thirteen organizational assessment steps to maintain a culture of safety
An assessment strategy to determine whether an organization is maintaining a culture of safety includes evaluation of training, behavior and leadership
10/23/2013
New safety measures put focus on best practices
Leadership from the executive ranks called antidote to poor compliance
10/22/2013
Answers to hospital fall prevention issues vary
Lack of safety equipment usage, understaffing among hospital concerns
10/22/2013
Biometric tools finding a new place in health care
Using fingerprints and iris patterns to validate identity is just beginning to play a role
10/21/2013
Free downloadable patient safety handwashing tools
Hand washing suffers from perennially bad compliance rates, sometimes as low as 40 percent in healthcare settings, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control
10/21/2013
Technology is a key to managing vendor and visitor access to health care facilities
Survey reports majority of facilities use a vendor management system to screen, badge and track every vendor. And 38 percent of respondents said they use a visitor management system to screen, badge and track every visitor
10/21/2013
Contaminated bed linen key area of microbial and allergen accumulation
As modern day hospital infection control measures improve, there is an increased focus on bed linen and associated materials as possible sources of infection
10/18/2013
Norovirus a chronic problem in nursing homes, long-term care facilities in Oregon
Since 2002, norovirus has sickened more than 23,000 people in 714 outbreaks in Oregon's residential-care facilities
10/18/2013
Lack of single rooms called key element in infection control
Survey ranked single room's impact above that of more infection control nurses
10/18/2013
Preventing nursing home elopement
Facilities use monitoring, equipment and response planning to keep its patients safe
10/18/2013
NY health care workers get fire safety training
Fatal fire at Illinois nursing facility puts spotlight on program
10/17/2013
Infection prevention guide for outpatient settings available for download
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers free resource
10/16/2013
Visual inspection compared to other methods of assessing cleaning
Study showed that visual inspection performed at least as well as commercial methods
10/16/2013
Illinois hospital unveils new patient safety initiative
Ottawa facility is only in region to launch eICU remote monitoring technology
10/14/2013
New report estimates societal cost of HAIs at a high of nearly $150 billion annually
Earlier report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the direct medical costs of HAIs to U.S. hospitals as $28.4 billion to $33.8 billion per year
10/14/2013
Web-based training program lauded for improving worker safety
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center addressed the need for a consistent and standardized work-safety training program to meet regulatory requirements for its maintenance employees
10/10/2013
Safety of bed rails questioned after patient deaths
Federal committee currently working on voluntary standards for adult portable bed rails
10/10/2013
Kimberly-Clark offers hand hygiene education program
Initiative designed to engage healthcare professionals and empower patients to create a safer healthcare environment
10/10/2013
Manufacturers developing materials for cleanability and germ resistance
Safer surfaces help facilities look great while maintaining clean and safe environments of care
10/9/2013
It knows if you've washed your hands
Wearable device designed to improve hospitals' hand hygiene
10/9/2013
New guidelines may help infection control at residential facilities
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Ronald McDonald House partner to release the guidelines
10/8/2013
Cintas issues 10 tips to help comply with the HIPAA Omnibus Rule
Compliance deadline for new rule occurred on Sept. 23
10/4/2013
15 things to know about the HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule
If you're still not 100 percent sure your HIPAA ducks are in a row, here are 15 things you must know
10/3/2013
Health care leaders address senate committee on HAI reduction
Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee looks at efforts to reduce healthcare-associated infections
10/1/2013