Facility Operations - June 2016

Gloves shown to transfer bacteria between surfaces

Study suggests gloves play role in transferring bugs

6/30/2016



Preventing spread of common superbugs

Interventions can reduce the overall incidence of HAIs

6/30/2016



Infection control credited for curbing MERS in dialysis unit

Surveillance and isolation interventions were conducted in a dialysis unit in Seoul

6/29/2016



Internet of Medical Things exposes healthcare facilities' security weaknesses

With exposure to the Internet comes risk of hacking, viruses, malware and ransomware

6/29/2016



Pasadena hospital deals with infection crisis

Three patients who died last year were infected with the bacteria after having procedures involving endoscopes

6/29/2016



Infographic explores touchscreen hygiene in healthcare facilities

With everything from x-ray screens to ultrasound touchscreens to bedside portals, more screens pose more risk of spreading infection

6/29/2016



Legionella found in Allegheny General Hospital water tanks

Patients and staff in the Snyder Pavilion and Cancer Center were told not to drink the water or use certain ice machines

6/28/2016



Hospitals donate excess food to feed hungry

Practice Greenhealth partners with Feeding America on new hospital initiative

6/28/2016



Healthcare facility retrofits deliver bottom-line benefits

Project challenges amplified by the need to protect the health and safety of patients

6/28/2016



Penn. healthcare facilities equipped for mass shooting

Penn State Hershey would bear the brunt of treating victims from any mass casualty event in the area

6/28/2016



Architect discusses technology’s role in improving healthcare

Healthcare Design asks architect Mary Frazier what in healthcare design has her attention at the moment

6/28/2016



Pictures of bacteria increases hand-washing compliance

Staff members were shown pictures of bacterial colonies similar to those found on their skin

6/28/2016



Healthcare facility mobile phone use may pose infection risk

Mobile phones can spread germs if hospital staff don't wash their hands after using them

6/27/2016



Predictions for bump in healthcare cybersecurity threats realized

Data breaches in the healthcare industry have been steadily increasing

6/27/2016



N.Y. healthcare facility restricts water use over Legionnaires' threat

Jamesville nursing home is not allowing residents to drink tap water

6/27/2016



Hospital wins AHF NY second culinary competition

St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson wins Top Chef-style competition

6/27/2016



Hospital constantly updates disaster-response plans

Indiana healthcare facility is becoming a verified level 3 trauma center

6/27/2016



Narrow wavelength of UV light safely kills drug-resistant bacteria

Potentially safe and cost-effective way to reduce surgical site infections

6/27/2016



Hospitable service can improve HCAHPS scores

Environmental services can play a supportive role in the patient experience

6/27/2016



Gundersen Health System diverts 46 percent of its solid waste stream

Health system's recycling program is part of a larger mission and vision

6/24/2016



Infection scare forces hospital to cancel almost 200 operations

Air filtration system, operating rooms are sanitized

6/24/2016



Purchasing sterile processing equipment: The service partnership

It’s important to evaluate more than just pricing when purchasing expensive equipment

6/24/2016



Seeing red for healthcare facility safety

Outpatient Surgery website lists ways the color red can be used to promote patient safety

6/24/2016



Preparing a hospital communications system for an emergency?

Communication technology has advanced in recent years

6/24/2016



Environmental services strategies for common superbugs

New materials can help improve patient care

6/23/2016



Healthcare Internet of Things can improve patient care

Healthcare organizations are advancing their big data strategies by creating an ecosystem of data

6/23/2016



Hospital food going upscale

Hospitals hire professional chefs and offer room-service dining

6/23/2016



Pennsylvania patient sold heroin from hospital room

Man was arrested at Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg

6/23/2016



AZ healthcare system reports exposure of employee information

Data security breach reported after a break-in

6/23/2016



Hand-hygiene video tracks healthcare workers' hands

Video tracks all of the people and surfaces healthcare personnel touch in one day

6/23/2016



'Ick factor' shown to boost hand-hygiene compliance

Visual cues will get healthcare workers to clean their hands more often

6/22/2016



Germ-zapping robots boost OR infection control

Study shows 46 percent decrease in surgical-site infections after a Massachusetts hospital used disinfecting robots in its operating rooms

6/22/2016



Healthcare facilities moving to microfiber mop systems

Benefits include cost savings, health and safety

6/22/2016



Two new Elizabethkingia cases found in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Department of Health Services says number of confirmed infections in the state is now 63

6/22/2016



New healthcare facility flooring healthy for environment

New materials can help improve patient care

6/22/2016



Security planning for healthcare facility emergencies

Patient-surge events can impact or even shut down a healthcare facility

6/21/2016



Health system recognized with sustainability award

EvergreenHealth receives Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Award

6/21/2016



VCU Health uses patient engagement cart to help tetraplegia patients

Patient engagement system supports a laptop directly overhead of immobile patients

6/21/2016



Sustainable materials offer financial benefits

Green interior design can benefit the financial health of a healthcare facility

6/21/2016



Plumbing systems should be simple and reliable

Know the requirements and technical challenges of the healthcare facility plumbing system

6/20/2016



Aging population expected to create huge senior-care market

By 2020, 117 million Americans are expected to need assistance of some kind

6/20/2016



Internet of Things is disrupting healthcare

Distributed healthcare is the idea that by physically de-centralizing healthcare services better care can be provided

6/20/2016



Healthcare security in the 21st century

Many healthcare facilities have developed contingency plans in the event of a natural disaster or mass trauma

6/20/2016



Healthcare security in the 21st century

Many healthcare facilities have developed contingency plans in the event of a natural disaster or mass trauma

6/20/2016



Body-worn hand-hygiene system increases decontamination

Researchers tested intraoperative hand-hygiene method and personalized, body-worn hand-hygiene system

6/20/2016



CDC offers guide to prevent Legionnaires' disease outbreaks

Better water management could have prevented the majority of outbreaks

6/17/2016



Healthcare furniture getting techie

Some new products can monitor patients, facilitate maintenance

6/17/2016



How to hire and retain a healthcare data security staff

Study says the difficulty in hiring and keeping security experts on staff hampers healthcare facility efforts to secure data

6/17/2016



Utah hospitals with cleanest rooms ranked

Seventy-seven percent of patients report that their room was always clean

6/17/2016



Patient warming methods/equipment tested

Forced air, heat reflective technology and warmed cotton blankets were compared

6/17/2016



How healthcare facilities respond to mass shootings

Facilities have emergency/disaster plans for preparing their emergency rooms and trauma centers for a sudden influx of patients

6/16/2016



Rethinking women’s healthcare facilities

The differences between men and women go beyond reproductive roles

6/16/2016



White paper on energy savings available

'Energy savings — Realistic Expectations' downloadable from Medical Construction & Design website

6/16/2016



Improved scope cleaning with enhanced visual inspection

Advanced technology and intentional visual inspection practices can greatly improve hospitals' processing quality

6/16/2016



Off-site patients stay connected with wearable devices

Wearable medical devices and other technology can help patients stay on track

6/16/2016



Toxic smoke protection for patients, staff urged

Toxic plumes in surgical smoke are a hazard to patients, surgeons, and nurses

6/15/2016



Healthcare facility workflow improved by Internet of Things

Analyzed data can boost quality and efficiency

6/15/2016



Many hospitals are banning flowers, balloons and stuffed animals

Some gifts are no longer welcome in many hospitals working to reduce the risks of infection and allergic reactions

6/14/2016



Connecticut hospital uses a rooftop garden, local farming to boost patient satisfaction

New Milford Hospital champions food as preventive medicine

6/14/2016



Kaiser Permanente shifting foodservice focus to health and wellness

Sustainable purchasing practices, room service and sous vide preparation are part of the plan

6/14/2016



Ottawa hospital to install safety alarms after attack on nurse

Brockville Mental Health Centre is ordered to install electronic alarms, improve staff training and hire security guards

6/13/2016



Healthcare foodservice game changers

The new normal is intense competition among healthcare providers

6/13/2016



Preparing for an accreditation survey

Ways to reduce stress when the surveyor comes

6/13/2016



Eye care clinic's ultraviolet light systems prevent hospital acquired infections; promote IAQ

UV surface disinfection in St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute's surgery rooms and HVAC systems protect patients from infection during eye operations

6/13/2016



Memphis VA cited after body tissue found in drain

An engineer pipe-fitter was exposed to body tissue while unclogging a drain

6/10/2016



Healthy wireless signals in hospitals

Many leading hospitals are already embracing wireless technology as a means of enhancing both patient care and productivity

6/9/2016



ICU noise levels can exceed standards

A new study shows that noise in the intensive care unit can go well above recommended levels

6/9/2016



Protect networked IP cameras from cyberattacks

Poorly configured devices can offer an opportunity to gain entry into the network

6/9/2016



Weighing the risks of OR surveillance

Secret videotaping of operations to catch a drug thief at a San Diego hospital has led to allegations of patient privacy breaches

6/8/2016



Water restrictions, testing for legionella continue at N.Y. healthcare facility

Engineered filters on all shower heads, bottled water and bagged ice are being used

6/8/2016



Water restrictions, testing for legionella continue at N.Y. healthcare facility

Engineered filters on all shower heads, bottled water and bagged ice are being used

6/8/2016



Developing a floor-cleaning program for healthcare facilities

Key steps combine to make the process more efficient and extend the life of the floor

6/7/2016



Sustainability in stand-alone healthcare buildings

Stand-alone medical buildings and specialized treatment facilities are engineering challenges

6/7/2016



Healthcare focusing on millennials

Industry shifting to keep up with this new generation

6/7/2016



Hospital HVAC retrofit uses external facade return air ducts

Outdoor acoustic panel HVAC ducts look architectural, but are actually seven-story exhaust air riser ducts supplying three ERVs

6/7/2016



Analytics alone don’t save money

Meaningful bottom-line results come from the implementation of recommendations identified by evaluating analytics. The change is a result of people and processes.

6/6/2016



Hospitals with the quietest patient rooms

Data tracks HCAHPS surveys from July 2014 through June 2015

6/6/2016



Healthy energy: Creating outage-resilient hospital facilities

An important step in increasing the resiliency of a healthcare facility is to connect its behind-the-meter energy assets, in order to monitor them around the clock and ensure they will perform as required in an outage

6/6/2016



Hand-hygiene improvement urged for outpatient clinic

Study suggests improvements for infection-prevention practices

6/6/2016



What's a healthcare facility's liability when a patient falls?

Strict policies can help reduce the risk of patient slips, trips and falls

6/3/2016



Study looks at impact of sink location on hand-hygiene compliance

Study examines behavior after care of patients with Clostridium difficile infection

6/3/2016



Using video monitoring to reduce patient falls

For a growing number of healthcare facilities, the right-size solution is a combination of technology and caregiver involvement

6/3/2016



UF Health retrocommission, automation cut energy costs

Performance data helps healthcare facility save millions

6/2/2016



White paper addresses healthcare facility cost-shifting

Three factors are impacting current state of healthcare services delivery

6/2/2016



Violent crime in hospitals dropped in 2015

But research from the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety says assaults are up

6/1/2016



UV light kills CRE in 15 minutes

Study looks at efficacy of using ultraviolet light on high-touch surfaces

6/1/2016



Filter removes viruses from water

A paper sheet made by scientists at Uppsala University can remove resistant viruses

6/1/2016



Healthcare groups launch 'green' purchasing co-op

Four health systems have partnered with two environmental organizations to compete with group purchasing organizations

6/1/2016



 
 
 


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