Infection Control

Flu Season During Coronavirus Pandemic Raises New Questions

Flu patients can take up resources

9/25/2020

Washington Hospital Fixes Water Issue After Two Weeks

The water issue affected sterilization of surgical instruments

9/25/2020

Lessons From Ebola

Healthcare professionals have learned a great deal about creating effective care environments that allow for the safe treatment of patients with EVD and other infectious diseases

9/25/2020

Florida Assisted-Living Facilities No Longer Required To Test Staff For COVID

Federal guidelines require nursing homes to continue testing

9/23/2020

Tackling the Pandemic with Environmental Monitoring

The benefits of temperature and environmental monitoring are twofold

9/23/2020

CDC Reverses Guidelines On Testing People Exposed To Covid-19

People who have had close contact with someone infected with the coronavirus, but who have not exhibited symptoms are now recommended to be tested

9/22/2020

Coronavirus Could Make Touchless Restrooms a Must

No longer a nice-to-have, touchless restroom fixtures may curb infections from commercial restrooms

9/22/2020

Columbus Surge Hospital In Storage For Now

The hospital at the Greater Columbus Convention Center has been disassembled

9/22/2020

Nursing Home Workers Who Work At Multiple Facilities May Be Behind Some Of COVID Spread

Florida facilities continue to see cases despite lockdown

9/21/2020

Containing Healthcare Costs in the New COVID Normal

Navigating pandemic-induced financial strain to reduce expenses

9/21/2020

Mass. Hospital Keeping COVID Transmissions at Nearly Zero

The Boston hospital has dedicated COVID-19 units with airborne infection isolation rooms

9/21/2020

UVC Disinfectant Not Easy to Use

UVC radiation disinfect requires many protocols to use safely

9/21/2020

Some Hospitals Fail To Separate COVID-19 Patients

Combining patients can fuel its spread

9/21/2020

Spray-On PPE Is Being Developed

The product would be used once a day and administered by a shelf-stable inhaler or nasal spray

9/18/2020

Material Shortages Hinders Mask Manufacturing

Meltblown textile is needed to make N95 masks

9/18/2020

Laundry Practices A Key Part Of Infection Control

It’s an area that’s underappreciated in eldercare

9/17/2020

Access Control Strategies Can Help Curb Coronavirus Spread

Facility managers can turn to a number of solutions, ranging from no-tech to low-tech to high-tech

9/17/2020

Nursing Facilities Can Be Hotbeds For Bacteria

Infection control protocols are key to preventing spread

9/17/2020

Water Chemistry Issues Suspend Surgeries At Washington Hospital

The water issue is affecting sterilization

9/16/2020

Green Cleaning During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Facilities should pay attention about to what’s in their cleaning products

9/16/2020

Decontamination May Solve Mask Shortage

With cold and flu season around the corner, new PPE shortages are feared

9/15/2020

Legionella At D.C. VA Hospital Cuts Off Water

The water was flushed and the water heated to eradicate any possible legionella bacteria

9/15/2020

Five Reasons Validated Water-Management Programs Are More Critical Than Ever

Many healthcare facilities may have experienced changes in their occupancy and water usage

9/15/2020

N95 Masks Still Being Rationed At Minnesota Hospitals

State has more than 1 million masks in storage

9/14/2020

HAIs May Be Rising Amid Pandemic

COVID-19 has stretched the workforce of infection experts, possibly increasing hospital-acquired infections

9/14/2020

Dozens Of Maryland Nursing Homes Cited For Infection Control Lapses

Ten have faced significant fines based on the inspection surveys, from $70,000 to $380,000

9/14/2020

Idaho Nursing Homes Visited By State Inspectors With COVID-19

Inspectors didn't know they were infected

9/11/2020

Whitepaper: How to Select Electrostatic Technology

Whitepaper identifies four critical elements to evaluate

9/11/2020

Two Initiatives to Enhance Your Infection Prevention Programs

There are steps that you can take in two key areas — instrument processing and contact tracing — that can help enhance your infection prevention program

9/11/2020

Pandemic Increases Importance of Infection Control Efforts

COVID-19 has increased the chance of infection for in-center dialysis patients

9/11/2020

Healthcare Employees With COVID Say They’ve Been Asked To Work

Situation is approved by the CDC

9/10/2020

How to Keep Healthcare Construction Sites – and Patients – Safe and Healthy During a Pandemic

During the pandemic, we’re focusing on strengthening these longstanding procedures

9/10/2020

Canadian Healthcare Facilities Seeing Resistance To In-Hospital Masking

Altercations witnessed when visitors are asked to wear mask in Alberta facility

9/9/2020

IPs and EVS Work Best Together With Give-And-Take

The COVID pandemic is bringing them teams together to discuss maintaining supplies of cleaning and disinfecting

9/9/2020

COVID-19 Could Change Enhanced Assisted Living

Some assisted living providers are reevaluating their healthcare offerings

9/9/2020

Return-to-School Issues Can Offer Lessons For Healthcare Facilities

Community living environments, such as universities and skilled nursing facilities, are challenging

9/8/2020

More Scrutiny Sought For Florida Coronavirus Isolation Centers

Some of the nursing homes have been cited for infection control issues

9/8/2020

Balancing Infection Control With Green-Cleaning Efforts

There are good sustainable alternatives out there if healthcare professionals are 'willing to open their eyes and take a look'

9/8/2020

One In Eight UK Patients Caught COVID In Hospital

Researchers said that was a relatively low rate

9/4/2020

Two Twin Cities Hospitals Hit With OSHA Penalties Over COVID-19

United, North Memorial fined for PPE, staff-safety violations

9/3/2020

California Hospital Workers Say They're Not Being Protected

Ad hoc COVID-19 medical centers are often remote and security is often a lower priority

9/2/2020

Temporary Hospitals Have Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

Ad hoc COVID-19 medical centers are often remote and security is often a lower priority

9/2/2020

Some Healthcare Workers Need Convincing To Wear Masks

Some healthcare workers still believe COVID is a farce or it doesn't really exist

9/1/2020

Baltimore-Area Hospitals Easing Visitor Restrictions

Some visitors are being encouraged to stay in the hospital rather than come and go

9/1/2020

India Deploys Portable, Foldable Covid Hospital

Facility can be set up in a few hours by fewer than five people

8/31/2020

Mobile COVID Clinical Trial Travels To Nursing Homes

An experimental drug to halt sudden outbreaks is being tested

8/31/2020

Many Doctors Say Pandemic Won't Be Contained Until June

Eighty-six percent of physicians said COVID-19 won't be under control until at least January 2021

8/28/2020

Report: Nursing Homes Facing Severe Staffing And Protective Equipment Shortages

Report includes results from a new national database containing 98 percent of U.S. nursing homes

8/28/2020

Legionella May Be COVID-19 Reopening Risk

Stagnant water can be a breeding ground for waterborne pathogens, like legionella. Here's how to reduce the risk

8/28/2020

Study: Children With Covid May Be More Contagious Than Adults

Infected children had significantly higher levels of virus in their airways

8/27/2020

CMS to Resume Routine Nursing Home Inspections

Onsite revisit surveys, non-immediate jeopardy complaint surveys and annual recertification surveys will resume

8/27/2020

Connecticut Report Says Nursing Home Staff Should Not Work In Multiple Facilities

The report also said that facilities assign staff to the same units and schedule longer shifts to cut down on departures and arrivals

8/27/2020

What to Know about Germicidal Lighting And Coronavirus

Fighting pathogens with lighting is not new, but can be tricky

8/26/2020

Infographic: How To Clean Different Mats

Choosing the proper products can makes cleaning more efficient

8/26/2020

N.C. Hospital Launches Drone Delivery Service

The drones transport medicines and personal protective equipment

8/26/2020

7 Million N95 Masks From Federal Stockpile Earmarked For Nursing Homes

Stockpile has 44 million masks

8/25/2020

Strike Teams Deployed To Combat Covid-19 in Nursing Homes

States are sending teams to help with outbreaks

8/25/2020

N.J. Hospitals Install Temperature Screening System for COVID-19

Alerts from thermal imaging cameras can be sent instantly to medical staff or security personnel

8/25/2020

COVID Patient Cohorting Can Come With Challenges

There are a number of considerations when planning patient-care arrangements during a pandemic

8/24/2020

N.Y. Hospital Sets Up Outdoor Visits For Elderly Patients

Rome Memorial Hospital helping its residents reconnect

8/21/2020

Flu Season With COVID Uncharted Territory For Healthcare Facilities

Things could be complicated because there’s going to be no way to distinguish between the two — without better testing capabilities

8/21/2020

Texas COVID Recovery Centers Ready For Patients

State’s largest recovery centers located at Casa de Amistad and the McAllen Convention Center

8/21/2020

VA To Welcome Volunteers Back to Healthcare Facilities

Some volunteer roles will be new, modified, virtual or remain paused

8/20/2020

Monitoring Feedback Recommended For Hand-Hygiene Programs

Monitoring hand-hygiene performance and providing personnel with feedback is key

8/20/2020

Report Links Spike In New Nursing Home COVID Cases To Community Spread

The report shows these cases increased in July after having dropped in June

8/19/2020

Best Practices for Healthcare Data Collection During COVID-19 and Beyond

Every COVID-19 case offers an opportunity to learn

8/19/2020

Study: Cleaning COVID Hospital Rooms Requires Contact Precautions

Education about infection prevention and maintaining adequate supplies of personal protective equipment was emphasized

8/19/2020

Proper Handling and Laundering of Bed Linen Can Help Curb Infection

Fabrics are sometimes overlooked as a potential source of healthcare-acquired infection

8/14/2020

Study: Healthcare Workers Of Color Nearly Twice As Likely To Get COVID

They were also more likely to care for COVID-19 patients and report having PPE issues

8/14/2020

Keeping Facility Ice Machines Clean and Safe

Ice machines can become contaminated with bacterial and viruses. These pathogens are often introduced by a person using the ice machine – not the machine itself.

8/14/2020

Hospitals Tracking COVID-19 With Sensors On Employee Badges

If a patient or staffer is diagnosed with the virus, the sensor system can pull up a map that shows who might have been in close proximity

8/13/2020

National Guard Helping Ease Long-Term Care Facilities’ Staffing Issues

National Guard members are also help run COVID-19 testing sites

8/13/2020

Preparing Healthcare Facilities for the Next Crisis

Facilities must ensure the health of patients outside of COVID, and be more prepared for the next emergency

8/13/2020

Consider Coronavirus, Hygiene Issues WIth Restrooms Upgrades

Upgrades should adapting to the pandemic, while improving productivity of custodial staff and reducing costs

8/13/2020

California Hospitals Expect To Face PPE Shortage For Next 2 Years

Hospitals across the state describe growing PPE shortages

8/11/2020

Longterm Impact From COVID-19 Expected For Senior Facilities

Facility design will need to enable residents to be smarter about living together

8/11/2020

Study: Coronavirus Lingers on Shared Medical Equipment

Research doesn’t say whether this could lead to virus transmission

8/11/2020

Orlando Hospitals Remind Public That Medical Facilities Are Not Hurricane Shelters

Facilities stress the point this year because of social distancing needs

8/10/2020

Study Said Healthcare Workers Wearing PPE Still Have Three Times The COVID-19 Risk

Minority workers have an even greater risk, the study said. Minority care providers were five times more likely to contract Covid-19 than white colleagues.

8/10/2020

Hospitals Prepare For Hurricane Season During Pandemic

COVID-19 has many hospitals planning to shelter in place

8/10/2020

Georgia Reopens Temporary Hospital in Atlanta To Deal With Covid Surge

The Georgia World Congress Center facility has a 120-bed capacity

8/7/2020

Use Of Domestic Medical Suppliers More Expensive

Johns Hopkins VP says 40-cent surgical gowns now cost $9

8/7/2020

Pennsylvania Nursing Homes' Second COVID-19 Wave Linked To Mistakes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects a second wave to start in the fall, during the traditional flu season, but the increase seen in Pennsylvania has begin early

8/6/2020

Healthcare FMs Challenged with Unified Response for Facilities Nationwide

Varied responses offer an opportunity to learn and share best practices across geographies that much more quickly

8/6/2020

FEMA Sends Gowns Without Arm Holes And Strapless Masks To Care Homes

$134 million shipment to frontline workers included ‘glorified garbage bag gowns’

8/6/2020

California Hospital Weathering Supply Chain Challenges

Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital’s parent company acquired stake in PPE manufacturer

8/6/2020

Interior Design Choices Can Support Infection Prevention

Style must be balanced with ease of cleaning

8/6/2020

South Carolina Hospital Installing Tents As It Deals With COVID-19 Patients

Regional Medical Center Orangeburg Hospital is also preparing for the upcoming hurricane season

8/5/2020

Puerto Rico Lacks Hospital To Survive COVID-19

Puerto Rico has a surge in COVID-19 infections

8/4/2020

Hand Hygiene Even More Important in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Healthcare facilities must sustain the gains achieved during the pandemic

8/4/2020

23 Employees, 13 Patients Infected At Mass. Hospital After Employee Visited A Coronavirus Hotspot

The coronavirus cluster emerged on a non-COVID unit

8/3/2020

Tenn. Hospitals Preparing Extra Space If Needed For Covid-19 Patients

COVID-19 hospitalizations are hitting new highs in the region

8/3/2020

Contact Tracing Gets Real

Hospitals and clinics look to location based intelligence (LBI) for fully automated, real-time contact and contagion tracking

8/3/2020

NICUs Facing Unique Challenges During Covid

A patient is labor is not going to be asked to wear a mask

8/3/2020

Germicidal Technologies Can Reduce Hospital Airborne Pathogens

UV-C energy can fortify hospital defenses against infectious diseases by reducing their concentrations without increasing their resistance to medicines

8/1/2020