Information Technology - May 2016
What healthcare facility professionals need to know about the 2012 Life Safety Code
CMS has adopted the 2012 edition of NFPA 101: Life Safety Code® through a new rule changing its Conditions of Participation
5/31/2016
Hospital workers prep with earthquake simulator
To prepare for 'the big one,' a Canadian hospital used the Shake Zone to replicate an earthquake
5/31/2016
Wi-Fi offers opportunities for device innovation
Many healthcare facilities struggle to keep up with connectivity expectations
5/31/2016
Albuquerque hospital actively seeks locally grown produce, meats
Presbyterian Healthcare Services is seeking business relationships with New Mexican farmers and ranchers
5/27/2016
Lapses in infection control found at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai
Calif. state health inspectors focused on two of Los Angeles’ largest hospitals and found numerous safety violations
5/27/2016
Will new overtime regulations affect healthcare facilities?
New minimum salary level for the executive, administrative, and professional employee exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act will be $913 per week, or $47,476 per year
5/26/2016
Surgical equipment safety issues remain at Ann Arbor VA
Six months after particulate matter on surgical equipment temporarily stopped surgeries, concerns are again being raised
5/26/2016
What does the Internet of Things mean for healthcare?
Internet-connected devices can harness the power of big data analytics
5/26/2016
Clearing the air around hospitals
A collaboration in Charlotte, N.C., reduces air pollution at two medical construction sites
5/26/2016
EPA to finalize hazardous waste pharmaceutical disposal rule
Regulatory changes would provide new requirements for managing hazardous waste pharmaceuticals
5/25/2016
Mass. hospital equips some staff with walkie-talkies to call for help
OSHA told the for-profit psychiatric hospital to equip its staff with panic buttons and improve staffing levels
5/25/2016
Cleveland Clinic launches green revolving fund
The $7.5 million fund called the largest in healthcare
5/25/2016
From ambulance to ward with iPads
Devices are used when patients’ meals are ordered, mobile access to the patient files is needed
5/25/2016
Protecting healthcare workers from Zika during birth process
Birthing process exposes healthcare staff to patients’ body fluids
5/24/2016
Healthcare facility staff called key to patient safety
NPSF president says patient safety initiatives are everybody's business
5/24/2016
N.Y. bill would give healthcare facilities' security officers peace officer status
Bassett Healthcare Network’s security staff will be given certain powers while on hospital and clinic grounds or immediately adjacent properties
5/24/2016
N.Y. adult care facilities reviewing security after robbery
Emergency room at the Eastern Niagara Hospital in Lockport robbed by armed man
5/24/2016
Healthcare facilities encouraging wellness with on-site nutritional resources
Demonstration kitchens have become an innovative way for hospitals to engage the public in disease prevention and management, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
5/24/2016
N.Y. healthcare facility resident contracts Legionnaires' disease
A resident at an Auburn facility has tested positive for Legionnaires' disease and trace amounts of legionella have been detected in the water system there
5/23/2016
The value of sustainability in healthcare
Healthcare facilities that pursue sustainability initiatives find multiple benefits
5/23/2016
Healthcare video surveillance balances security and privacy
Footage captures anesthesiologist removing drug vials, but also exposes many female patients
5/23/2016
Venezuela’s failing hospitals lack reliable power, water supplies
At the University of the Andes Hospital there is not enough water to wash blood from the operating table
5/23/2016
Study lists high-touch OR areas
The CDC's recommendations to clean high-touch areas more frequently did not include surfaces in the operating room
5/20/2016
Managing fluid waste in the OR
Outpatient Surgery readers share tips on keeping ORs floors dry
5/20/2016
Carolina East Health System installs thin client workstations
System wanted to replace many of its physical desktops with thin clients and centrally manage applications and desktops
5/20/2016
Program helps healthcare facilities to reduce energy usage
Commissioning building stock is becoming a means of identifying energy-efficiency opportunities
5/20/2016
CMS, Joint Commission adopting 2012 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code
Groups will begin surveying to the 2012 version of the National Fire Protection Association’s 101 Life Safety Code as of July 5
5/19/2016
Washington boosting healthcare facilities' security after escapes
Two patients escaped and another two went missing from the state's psychiatric hospitals in one week
5/19/2016
NIST design guide could impact healthcare cybersecurity
NIST released a guide for IT developers on integrating security measures into the development process
5/19/2016
Antibacterial soaps, disinfectants and antiseptics can result in more bacteria
Triclosan and triclocarbon are the ingredients to avoid
5/18/2016
Strategic dispenser placement key for hospital hand hygiene
Research shows that hand-hygiene dispensers have an impact on compliance rates
5/18/2016
Hospital's surveillance cameras identify woman stealing baby
A woman turned herself in to police after allegedly stealing a newborn baby from Louisiana hospital
5/17/2016
N.H. hospital looks outside to improve facilities management
Huggins Hospital outsources organization and management of hospital operations and maintenance
5/16/2016
Visuals show where to place hand-sanitizer dispensers in healthcare facilities
When it comes to hand sanitizer dispensers, location matters more than quantity
5/16/2016
Creating a patient watch program
Appropriate staffing, training, collaboration and contract language can help ensure the safety of patients, clinicians and security officers
5/16/2016
Biloxi VA facility opens textile processing facility
The new facility marks the first time since Hurricane Katrina that the medical center is processing its own textiles
5/13/2016
Benefits of wireless access control in a healthcare facility
Key cards, PINs, passwords and biometrics are just a few of the options available
5/13/2016
Facility management critical to infection control
Overlooking facility design, operations and management could prove costly
5/13/2016
HDTV system gives Steward Health Hospital quality entertainment to enhance patient experience
HD programming provides home-away-from-home comfort for patient satisfaction
5/13/2016
Cross-contamination prevention tips
Infection preventionists discuss top infection threats and solutions
5/12/2016
Healthcare facilities management can curb spread of super bugs
Report says effective facility design, operations and management can cut infections
5/12/2016
Toronto hospital an all-digital healthcare facility
Humber River is North America's first all-digital hospital
5/12/2016
Keeping diseases out of healthcare facilities
When staff and vendors take specific steps to prevent infection, rates can decrease by more than 70 percent.
5/12/2016
Healthcare accounts for 23% of all data breaches
The number of breach victims tripled in the last two years
5/11/2016
Nursing homes working to protect wandering dementia patients
Two Eastern Iowa facilities faced combined fines of $17,000 last year for allowing residents to wander away
5/11/2016
Enhancing patient satisfaction and provider efficiency in healthcare with in-building wireless
A successful healthcare operation incorporates reliable and efficient communication among all parties
5/11/2016
U.S. hospitals with cleanest rooms ranked
Eighty-nine percent of patients report that their room was always clean
5/11/2016
An 18-year-old invents copper pajamas to fight MRSA
10 million MRSA bacteria on a copper surface will shrink to 0 in an hour
5/10/2016
Keys to healthcare facility staff food and drink
The Joint Commission doesn't currently have specific standards
5/10/2016
Boosting efficiency in healthcare retail foodservice
Speed of service has become just as important as food quality for a healthcare facility foodservice operator
5/10/2016
Meet the microbes living on your hospital floor
While hospitals maintain strict protocols for minimizing infections and the spread of microbes, facility managers may be overlooking a prime area of concern
5/10/2016
Real time location systems in healthcare
A number of drivers point to its usefulness for providers and patients
5/9/2016
Hospitals urged to consider worker safety when choosing a disinfectant
NIOSH received a complaint asking for a health hazard evaluation at a hospital because employees were reporting adverse symptoms
5/9/2016
NFPA to offer life safety specialist certification for healthcare facility professionals
Certification recognizes advanced knowledge of life safety in healthcare; code compliance in facilities
5/6/2016
Integrating security into healthcare design
Security plans for individual healthcare facilities should begin before a project even breaks ground
5/6/2016
CMS publishes final rule on fire safety requirements for certain healthcare facilities
The rule adopts updated provisions of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 2012 edition of the Life Safety Code (LSC) as well as provisions of the NFPA’s 2012 edition of the Health Care Facilities Code.
5/6/2016
Hospital has Vancouver Island's largest array of solar power
The panels and installation cost $320,000
5/6/2016
Tips for more effective maintenance planning and scheduling
Effective maintenance planning and scheduling will deliver a safer and more cost-effective work environment for an asset-intensive facility
5/6/2016
Video games used in hospital safety training
Hospital staff will be trained using goggles that allow them to see the computer-generated facility 360 degrees around them
5/5/2016
Alberta funding more healthcare facility maintenance
Rapid transfer unit for ambulance patients at University of Alberta hospital to be permanent
5/5/2016
Hospital project setting energy conservation standards
British Columbia healthcare facilities designed to be the most energy efficient in the province
5/5/2016
Review of the HHS/CMS fire safety requirements completed
The proposed rule would incorporate much of the 2012 NFPA codes, but also makes exceptions
5/5/2016
Healthcare data security perimeter should be at server level
Leading cause of data breach incidents in healthcare facilities is lost or stolen end-user devices
5/5/2016
Researchers develop an anti-biofilm nano coating
Coating can prevent destructive bacterial biofilm from forming on metal surfaces
5/4/2016
Expert blames all Ebola outbreaks on infection control lapses
Staff, stuff, systems and space are needed to combat infections in healthcare deficient areas
5/3/2016
Healthcare system adding microwave meals to food service
Officials say it will mean greater choice and less waste
5/3/2016
Preventive maintenance can help healthcare facility budget
Facility managers must proactively manage the maintenance needs of his or her facilities
5/3/2016
Boston hospital security officers 'armed' for on-site ODs
Security officers carry opiate antidote so they can save the lives of drug users who overdose
5/2/2016
Healthcare facilities need a building envelope and HVAC strategy for patients' well-being
Technology advancement has resulted in better treatment for patients and has also led to higher energy consumption and elevated costs
5/2/2016
Healthcare facilities bring IoT to patient care
Aged care providers are sewing sensors and RFID technology into patient gowns
5/2/2016
Louisiana hospitals with cleanest rooms ranked
Eighty-six percent of patients report that their room was always clean
5/2/2016
Reducing airborne healthcare-associated infections
Indoor air quality and building hygiene can impact infection rates
5/1/2016
San Antonio hospital designs antimicrobial elements into luxe atmosphere
While the setting is luxurious, it is also functional for a healthcare setting
5/1/2016