Information Technology - November 2013
Tool kit available for antimicrobial stewardship
Kit contains resources on planning, implementing and sustaining an antibiotic stewardship program for C. diff reduction
11/27/2013
Isolated Colorado hospital braces for winter after surviving flood
One road into Estes Park Medical Center remains drivable, but it is a circuitous route down the mountain that turns a 45-minute trip into a few hours
11/26/2013
Alternatives to incineration sought for medical waste
Clean air advocates argue for alternatives as other states send their waste to Utah for incineration
11/26/2013
Ontario hospital lauded for going green
Lakeridge Health Oshawa named Green Hospital of the Year by the Ontario Hospital Association
11/26/2013
Tips for ergonomic electronic medical records work environments
In the rush to accommodate electronic health records, facilities may be creating unnecessary risks to staff
11/26/2013
Confusion over handling of blood-saturated linen creating unnecessary costs
Trade groups seek clarification from OSHA on linen handling regulations
11/25/2013
Study says good nurse/cleaning staff relationships can improve care
Cultural and organizational barriers sometimes prevent good relationships between the two groups
11/25/2013
Isolation linked to patient dissatisfaction
Infection precautions create negative perception of care
11/25/2013
Designer talks about effects of Affordable Care Act
Initiative seen as a wake-up call for facility managers, urging them to become leaders with more responsibility for patient advocacy
11/25/2013
Bryan Medical Center simplifies onsite power operation
Hospital uses power monitoring and control system to instantly gather, process, analyze, and act on the huge volumes and velocity of data
11/25/2013
Geisinger Medical Center earns perfect ENERGY STAR score
A cogeneration plant boosts efficiency for the Pennsylvanis health campus
11/25/2013
Hidden cameras are finding their way into long-term care facilities after discoveries of abuse
Three states permit residents in long-term care facilities to maintain surveillance cameras in their rooms
11/22/2013
Tennesee health system to outsource all food and housekeeping services
The shift is expected to save the hospital about $3 million in both material and personnel costs
11/22/2013
Does enterprise architecture have a place in healthcare?
Enterprise architecture has emerged to help institutions in many markets build new operating models and connect their as-is and to-be business strategies and IT capabilities
11/22/2013
Middle East conference explores healthcare facility design
Event brought together design and health professionals and experts from around the world to explore how the design of urban and healthcare infrastructure can support health, well-being and quality of life
11/22/2013
China's medical waste piling up
Poor management and substandard facilities blamed for problems
11/22/2013
UK health board facing legal action over hospital asbestos
Asbestos found in plant room at Glasgow hospital, three other sites
11/21/2013
Smarter energy use can reduce operational costs
The latest building automation systems offer energy management features that allow hospital facilities managers to improve efficiency and save money
11/21/2013
Healthcare can learn from Homeland Security
Risk management never ends. New cyber threats, vulnerabilities and consequences require the constant modification of strategy
11/21/2013
Healthcare facility assessments offer a guide to the future
Administrators have limited capital to invest in facilities, yet they face seemingly limitless requests for improvements
11/21/2013
Medical apps may mean fewer doctor visits
There might not be a need for a receptionist in the doctor's office, or doctors may transition from standard offices to timeshare suites
11/20/2013
Some Illinois hospitals reducing infection, study shows
The hospital association report showed that 843 instances of patient harm were avoided, saving $18 million in health care costs
11/20/2013
Florida and Ohio healthcare providers honored for environmentally friendly pest management
Environmentally friendly pest management emphasizes multiple methods of non-chemical pest control and prevention
11/20/2013
Alabama hospital replaces beds for patient comfort, safety
Athens-Limestone Hospital's new beds part of $780,000 renovation project
11/20/2013
USB management in healthcare can be complicated
Storage capacity and portability make them efficient, useful and vulnerable
11/20/2013
Aging population will need larger emergency department capacity
Patients aged 60 to 80 used EDs less frequently but generally need more care and time, according to study
11/20/2013
Hospital reviews policies after TB infection death
Investigation showed Las Vegas facility did not follow proper visitor, protection guidelines
11/19/2013
Demonstrating the business case for infection control
The key reason for making the business case is the decision by the CMS not reimburse hospitals for potentially preventable events
11/19/2013
Raleigh, N.Y. hospital gets a power system upgrade
Upgrade increased Rex Hospital's emergency power generating capacity, boosted its fuel storage capacity and added a SCADA system
11/19/2013
ES must partner with nursing and infection control
Working together in a mutually supportive workplace culture is key to reducing risk
11/19/2013
IT trends shaping the future of healthcare
Beyond meaningful use, security and interoperability, these issues are top of mind for IT leaders
11/19/2013
Succession planning key to healthcare facilities teams' future
Recent survey shows 40 percent of healthcare facilities managers are older than 55 - an increase from 35 percent in the 2009 survey
11/18/2013
Researchers evaluate several aggressive chemistries for reduction of C. diff
Chlorinated lime and peracetic acid were statistically superior to acidified bleach and the non-antimicrobial handwash, according to the study
11/18/2013
Bath hospital wins bid to upgrade lighting
The Royal United Hospital Bath to receive 1.7 million pounds to upgrade lights throughout its buildings
11/18/2013
Hospitals should evaluate infection-prevention policies, survey suggests
The survey questions addressed policies including placement and maintenance of devices, evaluation of healthcare workers' competencies and outcomes evaluation
11/18/2013
Elevator safety controls 'overridden' in fatal Alabama hospital accident
Decatur Morgan Hospital employee killed when freight elevator falls on him
11/18/2013
Hospitals lauded for electronic medical record systems
All four Health First hospitals were recently recognized for their use of electronic medical record systems and advanced clinical technology
11/15/2013
Four tips for infection prevention and quality assurance
To motivate staff to stay on track, expert suggests designating someone as an infection preventionist who conducts quarterly infection control assessments and evaluations
11/15/2013
2.4 million pound grant to replace UK hospital heating system
Fairfield General Hospital's ageing coal-fired steam boiler plant will be replaced with a gas hot water system
11/15/2013
Topeka reduces in-hospital infections with statewide push
Stormont-Vail and St. Francis Health have taken measures to reduce a range of infections acquired during treatment
11/15/2013
Safety violations cited in fatal Indian hospital fire
One doctor died in recent fire at the Gokul Hospital, a private hospital in Mumbai that had no fire alarm
11/14/2013
Solar Suitcases provide light and power to health facilities cut off from modern electricity
Device allows midwives and doctors to deliver babies, conduct c/sections, treat pregnancy complications, and care for newborn babies in 25 countries
11/14/2013
Quarter of Portugal's patients who died in 2011 had hospital bug
According to the national health board, it is not known how many actually died from the bug
11/14/2013
St Louis hospital gets 'Storm Ready' status
The SSM St. Clare Health Center has been declared a Storm Ready supporter by the St. Louis National Weather Service
11/14/2013
Abington Memorial Hospital wins patient safety award
Pennsylvania hospital went 365 consecutive days without a serious safety event
11/14/2013
South Carolina Hospital ranked among world's safest
Baptist Easley Hospital was awarded the Program of Distinction Certification from the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety
11/13/2013
Radiology suite equipment failure results in patient death
A UK hospital patient bled to death during an operation after medics accidentally hit an emergency power off button with a cart
11/13/2013
UK energy initiatives to save 14 million pounds a year
UK Department of Health to fund about 70 plans to save 13.7 million pounds
11/13/2013
Hospitals' physician lounges are becoming ghost towns
Without a place to interact regularly with their colleagues, physicians face a profession that resembles a collection of silos
11/13/2013
How many people does it take to change a lightbulb in a hospital?
There is no one, easy answer to energy efficiency at health facilities, but British Columbia health authorities commit to devising a long-range strategic energy management plan
11/12/2013
What to do when biomed equipment is down
Facility managers share tips to get equipment working again
11/12/2013
Digital healthcare bringing many changes to how healthcare is delivered, study says
Healthcare technology may mean gains in efficiency, but it's not clear what happens to quality of care
11/12/2013
UK hospital trust in court over safety charge
Prosecution was brought after a Blackpool Victoria Hospital worker broke his arm in two places at the hospital's laundry department
11/12/2013
Gifford Medical Center ranks first in Vermont for energy efficiency
Hospital working toward being first in state to get 'Energy Star' rating
11/12/2013
Hospitals must make infection control part of the culture, expert says
Facilities must set clear expectations about safety behaviors; provide staff with education, skills and tools; and hold everyone accountable
11/12/2013
Canadian official says hospital infection control good, but can be better
Alberta's auditor general says while no patient is in immediate danger, the province can do a better job on infection control in healthcare facilities
11/11/2013
Midwest supermarket chain moves into health care
Schnucks opened its first infusion solutions facility in St Louis this fall to treat acute and chronic conditions
11/11/2013
Electronic health tools may cut in-person physician visits
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Commonwealth Fund say the growing use of health information technology and electronic-health apps will impact the future demand for physicians
11/11/2013
Hospital report cards get a report card
New York Hospital group releases ratings on hospital ratings systems
11/8/2013
Report examines health IT and quality measurement
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report discusses the expectation that health IT-enabled quality measurement can make quality improvement possible
11/8/2013
Reprocessing equipment touted as saving money and waste
Presentation says healthcare as an industry produces the second largest amount of waste. Ten percent of the waste that is recyclable actually completes the process and 20 to 30 percent of healthcare waste is created in the operating room
11/8/2013
Parkland Hospital in Dallas designed to eliminate security, safety problems
The $1.2 billion replacement facility is being built across the street from the original hospital and is designed to eliminate some of the biggest concerns.
11/8/2013
Rural Arkansas hospitals get funds to connect to state HIE
Poorer critical access hospitals often struggle with electronic health record implementation costs
11/7/2013
Michigan health information exchanges connecting data
Great Lakes Health Information Exchange and Michigan Health Connect, the largest of six HIEs in Michigan, will connect more than 3,000 physician offices and 96 hospitals
11/7/2013
Smartphone locators becoming key to mobile workforce management
The number of users of smartphone-based workforce management services in Europe and North America is forecasted to grow from 0.8 million in 2012 to nearly 2.5 million by 2018
11/7/2013
Walgreens clinics recognized by Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care
AAAHC standards require clinics to be patient-centered, comprehensive, accessible and to coordinate care with all of the patients' primary care and specialty care provider teams
11/7/2013
What the U.S. can learn from India's healthcare system
Indian hospitals use a hub-and-spoke design, transfer of responsibility for routine tasks to lower-skilled workers and save money through old-fashioned frugality
11/6/2013
Research shows healthcare savings with retail clinics
New study says costs reduced further when nurse practitioners practice independently
11/6/2013
Nyack Hospital to install more than $1 million in energy and water conservation measures
Facility expects to conserve an estimated 12.4 million gallons of water and avoid the creation of 1,616,357 pounds of carbon dioxide annually
11/6/2013
Pathogens on soft surfaces often overlooked
Studies have shown that bacteria, viruses, and fungi can thrive on soft surfaces for extended periods of time
11/6/2013
Telemedicine: The days of dismissing it as a mere technology option are over
Advances in health care through audiovisual connections are allowing entirely different ways to spread specialty expertise around, cover shortages of professionals, compete in metropolitan areas and anticipate health reform
11/6/2013
Design decisions can help make hospital labs greener
Laboratory space is one of the worst offenders in energy and water use
11/6/2013
Project solutions: The future of healthcare and its impact on capital planning
Market dynamics, health system consolidation, the Affordable Care Act, payment reform, technological advances, and the ever-evolving and changing delivery of care are creating a new normal
11/5/2013
Impact of education, information on hand hygiene compliance studied
Rhode Island Hospital study showed compliance improve from 60 percent to 89 percent
11/5/2013
Florida healthcare systems food service operations entered futuristic realm.
Systems have improved how they store and prepare foods as well as how it's ordered and presented to the patient
11/5/2013
Pennsylvania senior nursing facility finishes $1 million in renovations.
Mount Carmel Senior Living Community celebrates 30th year with upgrades; rooms renovated, food service improved
11/5/2013
Study shows Veteran's Affairs MRSA initiative continues to make gains
A initiative required participating hospitals to implement a set of best practices, including nasal surveillance for MRSA, improved hand hygiene protocols and contact precautions
11/5/2013
Signature HealthCARE looking to expand longterm care facility
Tennessee facility seeks Eden certification for facilities with a homelike atmosphere
11/4/2013
Upgrading video image quality for healthcare surveillance
Staff, sick patients, visitors, newborns, long-term care patients all must be protected
11/4/2013
Hospitals lack culture of safety of high-reliability industries
Paper offers a 14-component framework based on what works for commercial aviation and nuclear power
11/4/2013
Health system's supply chain boasts efficiency, lowers costs
Intermountain projects $200 million savings over the next five years
11/4/2013
Evaluating infection prevention policies can reveal improvement opportunities
Majority of hospitals have policies for hand hygiene, fewer for antimicrobial restrictions
11/4/2013
Hospitals addressing problems from flooding one year after Sandy
Health and hospital officials have made good progress in defining the risks, but less headway in actually implementing solutions
11/4/2013
More progress needed to prepare hospitals for natural disasters.
Health and hospital officials have made good progress in defining the risks, but less headway in actually implementing solutions
11/1/2013
Environmental services earning respect for quality outcomes
ES has developed into a science that no self-respecting infection-prevention program should be without
11/1/2013
Four steps to ensure infection prevention programs meet ASC survey requirements
Experts offers advice on crafting an effective infection prevention program
11/1/2013