Facility Operations - October 2017
Tesla returns power to Puerto Rican children's hospital
Repairing or replacing healthcare facilities to their prior condition may be foolish
10/31/2017
Long-ignored unsanitary conditions found at Ga. prison hospital
Bags of garbage have piled up outside the operating room, attracting flies and mosquitoes
10/31/2017
Electrical design considerations for healthcare projects
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers should be well versed in all factors related to their disciplines
10/31/2017
Mississippi healthcare facility replaces 120 in-house housekeepers with contract workers
University of Mississippi Medical Center is no longer employing an in-house cleaning staff
10/31/2017
Hot cleaning rags ignite at California nursing home
Cleaning rags had been removed from the dryer too soon without cooling off
10/31/2017
Man rides bike into Okla. hospital, steals laptop
Police trying to identify a man who rode his bicycle inside a Bethany hospital during a theft
10/30/2017
Most common types of hospital security officer training
Survey shows eight of the training categories decreased in prevalence compared to four years ago
10/30/2017
Group working to curb harmful surgical smoke
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' 'Go Clear' program aims to bring awareness to the harmful effects
10/30/2017
Greenest hospitals in America
Becker's Healthcare names 60 of the most environmentally friendly hospitals in the country
10/30/2017
North Wales hospitals' laundry called infection risk
Machines are breaking down and there are pest control issues
10/27/2017
Florida moves to shut down nursing home where 14 died during Irma
Regulators have moved to permanently revoke the operating license of the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills
10/27/2017
Family of man murdered at Johns Hopkins questions policies
A woman killed her estranged husband in the ICU
10/26/2017
Mich. hospital reviewing policies after shooting
A patient barricaded himself in his room at Covenant HealthCare until officers gained entry with ballistic shields
10/26/2017
How typical ceiling light fixtures can help reduce HAIs
Healthcare providers are increasingly looking for solutions that provide a safety net by disinfecting surfaces that may have been insufficiently disinfected
10/26/2017
Arkansas VA healthcare system failed to update cleaning standards
Standards for instruments used in eye surgery cited
10/26/2017
Puerto Rico healthcare system faces long recovery
The situation with Puerto Rico’s healthcare system is far more vulnerable than those in Texas or Florida
10/25/2017
A month after Irma, Ormond Beach hospital still closed
Officials at damaged healthcare facility reviewing the assessments and evaluating the necessary repairs
10/25/2017
New tent hospital boosts NZ’s disaster response
Tent features a series of interconnecting sections for triage, maternity, resuscitation, a 10-stretcher observation ward and a pharmacy
10/25/2017
Hospitals in disaster areas may have to fight for federal funds
Over the last 10 years, FEMA has denied appeals for more than $1 billion requested by local governments
10/24/2017
Patient, 78, fires handgun inside Saginaw hospital
Police subdue shooter at Covenant Hospital without injury
10/24/2017
Suspected Legionnaires' disease in Buffalo hospital leads to water restrictions
Testing found slightly elevated levels of Legionella bacteria in the hospital's water system
10/24/2017
Common generator problems - and how to avoid them
Conference also serves as yearly training event
10/24/2017
California declares state of emergency after hepatitis A outbreak
The disease has most often struck the homeless or drug users, but has spread to workers at a healthcare facility
10/23/2017
Fire at Ohio hospital forces evacuation, closing
Fire at Summa St. Thomas Hospital in Akron in basement
10/23/2017
Study: Room service improves patient nutrition
Room service showed an increase in both energy and protein intake
10/23/2017
Hospital security professionals gather at Kentucky conference
Conference also serves as yearly training event
10/23/2017
Woman who gave birth in Japan photographs hospital meals
Meals look more than restaurant-worthy
10/20/2017
Debunking the assumptions around proper hand hygiene
Hand hygiene in healthcare involves not only washing hands with soap and water, but also the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers
10/20/2017
Hospital ship off Puerto Rico sits mostly idle 2 weeks after its arrival
Only 33 of the 250 beds on the Comfort — 13 percent — are being used
10/20/2017
Dirty floors, kitchens found at Colorado veterans hospital
The inspections also found two doors in a mental health treatment facility were found unlocked and the alarms were not turned on
10/20/2017
Minn. hospital sued after stillborn baby discarded with dirty laundry
Regions Hospital in St. Paul had promised to cremate the remains
10/20/2017
Tomorrow's hospital will include digital command centers
Experts envision hospitals using a central command center that mimics an air traffic control system
10/19/2017
Scandal-plagued hospital's cleaners claim hygiene standards dropping under new contractor
Since the hospital in Edmonton, North London, changed its cleaning firm in June, ten porters' jobs have been cut
10/19/2017
Technology that can improve behavioral health environments
One example is polycarbonate electronic glazing on doors that can switch to be transparent or translucent, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
10/19/2017
Some flexibility seen in Florida nursing home generator order
Agency posted a rule outlining steps that nursing homes that are facing circumstances beyond their control
10/18/2017
Community hospitals swamped after wildfires shut down major hospitals
Some facilities are running out of supplies, such as linens
10/18/2017
California firestorm strains healthcare system
One company installed air purifiers to try to help with the smoke at three of its dialysis clinics
10/18/2017
Man arrested after streaming online while holding a gun at Columbus hospital
a security guard at the hospital who spotted the video
10/18/2017
New textile disinfects itself
Material is designed to be used on hospital doors instead of the traditional aluminum door plate
10/18/2017
Hospitals evacuated during Northern California wildfires
At least two hospitals in Northern California evacuated patients as wildfires destroyed 1,500 structures
10/17/2017
New lifting device may cut down on healthcare facility staff injuries
Healthcare workers experience injuries at nearly three times the rate of other professional and business services
10/17/2017
Healthcare facilities must have business continuity plan
There are guidelines in place to help healthcare facilities ensure the viability of critical systems
10/17/2017
Mobile weather monitoring technology can aid first responders
A hospital operation center could rely on those driving ambulances or helicopters to make decisions that are best for them and their patients
10/17/2017
Mayo food service fight boosts SEIU membership
Food service workers at Charter House voted to unionize by a 2-to-1 ratio.
10/17/2017
Drones studied for infection control possibilities
Technology may help with baby monitoring, remote health checks
10/17/2017
Puerto Rico’s healthcare situation is dire, three weeks after hurricane
Hospitals are running low on medicine while admitting patients from medical centers where generators failed
10/16/2017
Expert says Flint's Legionnaires' outbreak likely killed more people than reported
The death toll attributed to the 2014-2015 Legionnaires' outbreak in Michigan may exceed the 12 reported deaths
10/16/2017
Tips for pharmaceutical waste management
Healthcare facilities are faced with two key challenges related to pharmaceutical waste management
10/16/2017
CHI Health develops restaurant-style menu
Nebraska system reconfigured a cook-chill food preparation system, a centralized tray system and a retherm cart delivery system to get greater diversity and higher-quality food
10/16/2017
CMS requirement addresses Legionnaires' Disease control in longterm care facilities
Nineteen percent of all Legionnaires' disease outbreaks are longterm-care-related
10/16/2017
One Texas nursing home evacuation began with a gun drawn
Volunteer drew gun when facility staff wouldn't allow evacuation of patients
10/13/2017
Hospitals evacuate as California wildfires spread
Kaiser Permanente's and Sutter Health's Santa Rosa hospitals transported patients to other healthcare facilities
10/13/2017
Maintaining healthcare facility security with unrestricted family visitation policies
The right technologies can help maintain the right balance between openness and security
10/13/2017
Navigating challenges while implementing strategy
Data-driven metrics coupled with an understanding of the more nuanced aspects of planning are essential to achieving the goals outlined in a complex strategy
10/13/2017
CDC offers advice on controlling spread of superbug fungus
The multidrug-resistant yeast is transmitted in healthcare settings
10/13/2017
USNS Comfort responds to second hospital generator failure in Puerto Rico
The hospital ship received four critical patients from Hospital Menonita in Caguas
10/12/2017
The Triple S reinventing healthcare: Speed, scalability & space
The future of Big Data is promising — the analytics market in healthcare is projected to grow from $7 billion in 2016 to $24 billion in the next five years
10/12/2017
N.Y. VA facility problems blamed on poor maintenance oversight
Surgeries were suspended between mid-February and early June of 2016 after metal particles were found in the airflow to the operating rooms
10/12/2017
Senator calls for public disclosure of hospital safety inspections
Request sparked by an investigative report by the Wall Street Journal, that found The Joint Commission seldom revokes its seal of approval
10/11/2017
Technology trends dominating healthcare
IT will dominate the landscape for the foreseeable future
10/11/2017
Environmental service workers called unsung heroes of healthcare
Proper cleaning of surfaces is key to infection control
10/11/2017
Many nursing homes are unprepared for catastrophes
Some believe Irma-like catastrophe could have happened anywhere
10/10/2017
Central OhioTrauma System Central helps Ohio hospitals respond to potential disasters
They have plans for blizzards, tornadoes, virus outbreaks, aircraft crashes, mass killings and other calamities.
10/10/2017
Pre-plans should be considered in lowering facility, home and municipal insurance premiums
A pre-plan can be hosted by a facility or it can be a critical element of a municipal fire department’s tech toolkit
10/10/2017
Man killed at hospital had officer’s stun gun
The suspect obtained the stun gun after being left unattended in the emergency room
10/10/2017
Mass. health system tightens security after assault on nurse
New security efforts include limiting visitor access and subjecting everyone and all bags to search upon arrival
10/10/2017
Making a healthcare facility disaster-ready
Many hospitals are still not fully prepared to deal with disaster
10/10/2017
Blood soaks the hallways at Las Vegas hospital after attack
Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center resembled a war zone
10/9/2017
Study looks at potential infection spread from floor to hands
Analysis of 318 floor samples revealed floor contamination was common, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
10/9/2017
Toronto hospital installing new encryption security tech
The strategy is designed to protect the exchange of data as well as sensitive data at rest
10/9/2017
Best practices for laundering of healthcare textiles
Proper laundering and handling are key to maintaining hygienically-clean healthcare fabrics
10/9/2017
N.H. healthcare facility reviews security after shooting
Officials say they are not presupposing what security changes may be needed
10/6/2017
Sioux City nursing home fined for food service
Facility plans to challenge $5,000 fine, potential loss of funding
10/6/2017
Health workers attacked and abused over hospital smoking ban
Rules banning smoking outside an Australian public hospitals could be reviewed
10/6/2017
Resident input key to dynamic dining in senior facilities
Dining and menu choices can be a deciding factor for older adults researching housing options
10/6/2017
Does Vermont's largest hospital have an effective active shooter plan?
An active shooter plan is one hospital officials hope they never have to use, but think about often
10/6/2017
Pittsburgh-area healthcare facilities say they could handle Vegas-level calamity
But hospital officials say they’ve never practiced for a tragedy of such magnitude
10/5/2017
Despite known best practices, hospital cybersecurity programs still lacking
Tradeoffs with data accessibility and portability make it almost impossible fully protect against attacks
10/5/2017
Healthcare design risk assessment toolkit offered
It focuses on helping designers promote patient and staff safety
10/5/2017
Facility's security questioned after wandering Alzheimer's patient dies
Woman's body was found two miles away from facility nearly a month after she disappeared
10/5/2017
Some nursing home disaster plans called paper tigers
Around the country, facilities have been caught unprepared for mundane emergencies
10/4/2017
Using technology to reduce violence against hospital workers
Security systems integrators can assist healthcare organizations in developing functional standards
10/4/2017
Houston healthcare facility official discusses Harvey preparedness
Memorial Hermann Health System was among the many hospitals affected by hurricane
10/3/2017
London's newest hospital failed fire safety checks
Cladding on Cladding on London’s newest hospital building failed fire safety checks ordered after the Grenfell Tower disaster
10/3/2017
Medical overview of dealing with natural disasters
As the storms approach, each healthcare facility must make difficult decisions between evacuating patients and staff and riding it out
10/3/2017
Terminal cleaning best practices evolve
High-tech tools have armed facilities with new weapons to kill pathogens
10/3/2017
Few healthcare facilities in Puerto Rico have power or fuel
Some fear the worst is yet to come as hospitals brace for a second wave of illness as outbreaks of disease are likely due to the spread of mosquitoes
10/2/2017
Navy hospital ship on relief mission to Puerto Rico
The USNS Comfort was stocked with supplies
10/2/2017
Mass. hospital boosts security after nurse stabbed
Additional metal detectors, security cameras and panic buttons have been installed
10/2/2017
D.C. hospital's sewage leaks seldom result in major penalties
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is under investigation by the D.C. health department for recent sewage leaks
10/2/2017
Legionella found in Montana healthcare facility water supply
The bacteria was recently discovered at Missoula’s St. Patrick Hospital
10/2/2017
Compatibility and infection control: Balancing cleaning demands with chemical profiles
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is under investigation by the D.C. health department for recent sewage leaks
10/2/2017