Facility Operations - June 2014
San Francisco hospitals rehabilitating hospital food
Facilities join with Physicians for Social Responsibility to brainstorm ways to change hospital food
6/30/2014
UK hospitals' revamped energy systems to save 2.5 million lbs
Two NHS hospitals in East Cheshire are hoping to cut their carbon footprint by 30 percent
6/30/2014
Michigan hospitals working to prevent infections
Muskegon, Grand Rapids facilities working to safeguard patients and their bottom lines
6/30/2014
Sweat hurts anti-bacterial brass surfaces
A new study shows sweat can cause corrosion of the protective qualities of brass surfaces - such as doorknobs - that contain bacteria-fighting copper
6/27/2014
New hospital maintenance rules kick in July 1
Guidelines clarify when a hospital may adjust its maintenance, inspection and testing activities from what is recommended by the manufacturer
6/27/2014
Northern California health system to invest $11.5 million in patient lifts
Sutter Health will install 1,036 overhead patient lifts at 19 intensive care units and acute rehabilitation centers
6/27/2014
Infant abduction puts spotlight on maternity ward security
Hospitals nationwide have upped security measures in their nurseries in recent years
6/26/2014
Consult models outside of healthcare to improve patient experience
Healthcare providers compare themselves to each other and benchmark their customer service accordingly. This sets the bar in the wrong place.
6/26/2014
Michigan hospital holds armed-intruder drill
Monroe facility held drill to test existing resources and determine what else may be needed in the future
6/26/2014
Tools for hand-hygiene observation
Becker's Hospital Review article lists five tools to monitor hand-hygiene compliance
6/26/2014
Boston patient dies after delayed window fix
Facility manager of a state psychiatric hospital requested window replacements twice before a patient hurled a chair through a window and jumped
6/25/2014
Atlanta hospitals address patient safety
Hospital safety specialists borrow high-reliability principles from industries such as nuclear energy and the airlines.
6/25/2014
Austin medical center achieves LEED Silver certification
Austin Energy Green Building gives facility a 3-star rating for sustainability
6/25/2014
White paper tackles increasing noise in healthcare environment
Today's hospitals are twice as noisy as they were 50 years ago, according to the paper
6/25/2014
Hospitals increasingly faced with security issues
Violence by patients themselves is up - typically, mental health patients or the elderly
6/24/2014
White paper offered on sustainable pest management
Pest management program can align with sustainability requirements
6/24/2014
'Aquarium lights' improve dementia care: study
Therapeutic lamps used in study found at a pet store
6/23/2014
APIC conference showcases infection-control videos
'Today, I Vow' video by Norton Healthcare wins APIC 'Peoples Choice Award'
6/23/2014
Energy dashboard usage can mean significant savings
The ability to see changes in utility usage at a healthcare facility can save thousands of dollars, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
6/23/2014
Healthcare professionals honored with annual Facility Managers Awards in California
The North Bay Business Journal included many healthcare facility managers in 2014 honorees
6/23/2014
Ensuring hospital's fire barrier integrity
Firestopping is the last line of defense for patients within a hospital
6/20/2014
Long-term care facilities including more amenities
New are existing facilities are are realizing that these features are necessary to remain competitive, according to a blog on the Environments for Aging website
6/19/2014
New Zealand hospital reviews safety after attacks on staff
Hundreds of hospital staff have been attacked on the job by patients and visitors, with injuries ranging from minor bruising and shock to broken limbs and black eyes
6/18/2014
Oklahoma hospital designed for severe weather
Modifications to the Tahlequah hospital's existing plans for the $60 million facility enhance its ability to withstand severe weather
6/18/2014
Facilities find different solutions to ensure critical power
Two retrofitted their critical power management system and the third built it from scratch
6/18/2014
Recognizing signs of bedbugs
To look for bedbugs, check for these signs in the places where people sleep
6/17/2014
Infection control best practices for long-term care
In the communal setting, infection control involves environmental cleaning, clinical caregiver and social aspects, according to an article on the Long-term Living website
6/17/2014
UK hospital trust to launch energy-saving project
Plan would reduce carbon footprint by 30 percent and cut power costs
6/17/2014
Assessing a healthcare facility
An initial discussion of what areas will be covered will help determine the correct approach
6/17/2014
Hospitals in Hawaii go solar to save money
Honolulu facility expects to save about $101,318 annually on its electricity bill with a solar photovoltaic system
6/16/2014
Mock disaster drills held at Connecticut senior facility
Norwalk facility holds mock disaster drill to test policies and procedures in case of a natural disaster
6/16/2014
New guidelines help hospitals curb MRSA
Strategy includes implementing a monitoring program and the proper cleaning and disinfection of equipment and environments
6/16/2014
Nursing homes in Germany serve 3D-printed food
3D-printed "smoothfood" uses pureed food to create a more appetizing-looking meal for elderly people who have trouble chewing and swallowing
6/13/2014
Study shows UV cleaning cuts superbugs by 20 percent
Rate of hospital-acquired infections was significantly lower during the 22 months of UVD use compared with the previous 30 months
6/13/2014
Collaboration model may control spread of C. diff
Study says multi-hospital collaboration can help control infection
6/13/2014
Benchmarking cooling water systems
Strategies should address economic, environmental and social benefits
6/13/2014
AHF culinary competition winners named
Teams were judged on organization, time management, culinary skills, originality, taste and plate presentation
6/13/2014
Medical-grade wireless becoming a facility standard
Wireless connectivity a basic healthcare utility, like power, HVAC and water
6/12/2014
UCSF Medical Center's room service program delivers restaurant-style food
Patients can choose from menu items available at the various restaurant-style concepts in the center's retail cafes
6/12/2014
New Hampshire hospitals take part in pandemic exercise
Strafford County facilities join local agencies, schools in setting up alternate care site during emergency
6/12/2014
Better oversight of Alberta care facilities urged
A new report by the Health Quality Council of Alberta says Alberta Health Services needs to decide who is responsible
6/12/2014
Baltimore hospital's K-9 unit helps cut security incidents
Two dogs were added to the Union Memorial Hospital staff in the spring
6/11/2014
Smart design can help keep patients safe
University Medical Center project's goals included reducing the number of errors, falls and infections at the facility and improving patient outcomes
6/11/2014
Louisiana hospital sanitizes with UV light
West Calcasieu-Cameron Hospital in Sulphur is using UV technology to disinfect its facilities
6/11/2014
Healthcare addressing longstanding environmental challenges
Facilities have found they can reconfigure operating rooms without compromising patient or staff safety
6/11/2014
Hand-washing goals key to Maryland CMS waiver
In state's acute care hospitals, health professionals have been washing their hands at least 90 percent of the time over the last six months, study shows
6/11/2014
Hospital raises bar on food service with intensive training
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital increases profits with new menu, trained staff
6/11/2014
Poor communication cited in Wisconsin hospital shooting
Shooting resulted in a lockdown at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
6/10/2014
Largest U.S. health system will stop buying flame-retardant furniture
Kaiser Permanente will stop buying furniture treated with the chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive disorders and brain damage
6/10/2014
South Korean hospital examined for safety lapses after fatal fire
A fire killed 21 and injured eight at a private hospital for chronically ill patients
6/10/2014
North Carolina hospital launches 'Dinner-to-Go' program for employees, community
Transylvania Regional Hospital aims for great food not great hospital food, with emphasis on nutrition, local sourcing
6/10/2014
Greening your healthcare facility
Developing waste reduction strategies is a good place to start
6/10/2014
'Cultural guide' urged for hospital staffs
Guidelines on the religious and cultural needs of patients urged
6/9/2014
Healthcare foodservice gets creative
Industry was poised for a change regardless of what happened on the political landscape
6/9/2014
Hospital infection control: reducing airborne pathogens
Source and pathway management should involve airborne transmission and especially enhanced methods of its control even though the primary route is considered to be direct contact
6/9/2014
West Virginia hospital holds decontamination drill
Preston Memorial Hospital uses community volunteers to set up temporary facility
6/9/2014
Hospital system security will be allowed to make arrests on public property
Police working for University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland, Ohio, soon will be able to make misdemeanor arrests, enforce traffic laws and ticket illegally parked cars
6/6/2014
Toronto hospital gets infrastructure upgrade through energy contract
Improved patient care, cost savings and environmental sustainability drive hospital-renewal plan
6/6/2014
Security reviewed after newborn abduction
The abduction of a day-old baby from a Quebec hospital has raised questions about hospitals' security measures
6/5/2014
Call for portable bed rail ban renewed after deaths
A long-term care consumer watchdog group has renewed its call for a permanent ban of adult portable bed rails in long-term care settings
6/5/2014
Mobile hospital becomes temporary medical center
National Mobile Disaster Hospital (MDH) from North Carolina opens in tornado-ravaged Louisville, Miss.
6/5/2014
Healthcare facility's food service expands to food truck
Lynchburg, Va., health system launches mobile kitchen as part of its food service transformation
6/5/2014
Savannah area sees urgent care growth
Perfect healthcare storm has created a boon for the urgent care industry: a shortage of primary care physicians, overstretched emergency rooms and newly insured patients
6/5/2014
Deadly infections at 'med spa' tied to poor practices
Outbreaks of strep infections at East Coast weight loss clinics linked to staffs' poor infection control practices
6/5/2014
UK man dies after being trapped in hospital doors
Inquest will review the death of an elderly man who was trapped in the revolving doors at South Tyneside District Hospital
6/4/2014
New technology improves hospital emergency communication
Emergency managers have access to communication tools that make sure that the right people get the right message
6/4/2014
Manhattan hospitals partner for disaster drill
Lenox Hill Hospital, New York-Presbyterian practice decontamination, test patient-tracking system
6/4/2014
Healthcare launderers call for higher standards
Deaths from a fungal outbreak at Children's Hospital in New Orleans has prompted national leaders in the healthcare laundry industry to review standards for handling hospital linens
6/3/2014
Canadian hospital test drives new emergency plan
Ottawa Hospital builds new links to police, fire, ambulance, city services and the Red Cross, while putting in place a new emergency management system
6/3/2014
Irish care homes criticized for 'shared gender' facilities
Females and males with intellectual disabilities had to share cubicles in three residential homes
6/3/2014
Wisconsin hospital proactive on safety
Mercy Hospital in Devil's Lake offers safety seminars for staff
6/3/2014
Antimicrobial coatings and equipment advancing infection control
As technology plays a greater part in healthcare, more attention is being paid to how device surfaces and materials behave in terms of harboring micro-organisms
6/3/2014
More hospitals using antibiotic-free meat
Facilities face the reality that reduced-antibiotic meat and poultry products are more expensive and finding vendors with an adequate supply is a challenge
6/3/2014
Study says ultraviolet cleaning reduces superbugs 20 percent
Multidrug-resistant organisms were decreased after adding ultraviolet environmental disinfection to a hospital's cleaning regimen
6/3/2014
Seattle medical center security staff to carry Tasers
Security officers at the Swedish Medical Center will be the first in the city to be armed with Tasers
6/2/2014
Tupelo hospital laundry on constant alert
North Mississippi Medical Center's laundry treats everything like it's potentially infectious
6/2/2014
Adelante chief honored as healthcare facility 'Changemaker'
The Center for Health Design gives Changemaker Award to honor the exceptional ability to change the way healthcare facilities are designed and built
6/2/2014
Cabling infrastructure supports sustainability
A well-planned and -designed infrastructure includes energy management, is aesthetically pleasing and contributes to efficient construction
6/2/2014
MRSA study recognized by APIC
The study examined the survivability of a MRSA strain on razors, plastic toys, ceramic, soap, wood, vinyl, towels, bed sheets and shoulder pads
6/2/2014
Portsmouth hospital practices for disasters
Portsmouth Regional Hospital staffers train at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Center for Domestic Preparedness
6/2/2014