Safety - October 2016
Sinks added to fight infections can make the problem worse
Some sinks have been linked to the spread of dangerous bacteria
10/31/2016
Naval hospital recognized for energy and water programs
Naval Hospital Bremerton was one of only two Navy healthcare facilities recognized by the Secretary of the Navy's Energy and Water Management Award
10/31/2016
Copper healthcare facility surfaces can help fight infections
A new study says antimicrobial copper can minimize pathogens in hospital rooms
10/31/2016
Healthcare expert offers advice on establishing security plan
Training and planning can help to reduce incidents
10/28/2016
Tackling healthcare cybersecurity challenges
Many chief information security officers aren’t even close to having the tools they need to deal with cyberattacks
10/28/2016
Hospital maintenance crew committed to safety
They are the men behind the scenes, in the elevator shafts, air ducts, boiler rooms, water lines and every nook and cranny of Covenant Health Plainview
10/28/2016
Antimicrobial copper touch surfaces may help fight antibiotic resistance
Replacing frequently-touched surfaces with antimicrobial copper equivalents — teamed with good hygiene practices —could help address both the environmental spread of contamination and the rise of antibiotic resistance
10/28/2016
Rural hospitals lead in infection prevention
New research also suggests rural providers are ahead on care coordination
10/28/2016
Boston Medical Center and MIT partner for energy plan
Group will purchase almost all of its electricity through a new solar farm
10/27/2016
Waterline break leads to disruptions at N.C. hospital
Fire Department tanker trucks were brought in to Columbus Regional Healthcare to supply chillers
10/27/2016
UV air purification linked to lower sepsis rates
An ultraviolet air sterilizer can reduce infection rates in cardiac surgery patients
10/27/2016
Detroit Medical Center's correction plan for sterilization issues approved
The plan includes using a perioperative improvement council and task force to oversee improvement actions
10/26/2016
New bacteria strain requires effective healthcare facility cleaning
Rigorous cleaning standards can help to prevent spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
10/26/2016
Federal rule key to health IT infrastructure development
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) final rule requires oversight of health IT vendors
10/26/2016
Automating a reprocessing department
Automation can increase efficiency without cutting corners or skipping steps
10/26/2016
Chicago healthcare facility uses GPS to try to eliminate wait times
Rush River North Medical Center uses the location system to boot workflow
10/25/2016
HLAC encourages healthcare laundries to be proactive to break the chain of infection
Healthcare laundry providers to build a relationship with their customers' infection preventionists
10/25/2016
Getting administrative buy-in for facility security
Securing funding for public safety departments can be a challenge
10/25/2016
Toronto healthcare facility gets smart with technology
Humber River Hospital wanted automated building and clinical systems — to be able to work together and achieve a more sophisticated level of interoperability, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
10/24/2016
Indian Health Services hospitals facing challenges
Problems include sewage in the OR and physician vacancies
10/24/2016
How healthcare facilities can stay ahead of cybercriminals
Organizations must understand the risk and respond with continuous diligent cyber security
10/21/2016
Integrating security and safety technologies can benefit hospitals
A security integrator can help a healthcare campus make the most of its systems
10/21/2016
Philadelphia hospital to have smart patient rooms
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital installing voice-recognition technology
10/21/2016
Check your knowledge with a surface disinfection quiz
Outpatient Surgery's 20 questions test infection prevention insight
10/20/2016
Maximizing cooling tower technology for HVAC, power and industrial applications
New technology advancements provide up to 50 percent more cooling capacity, greater energy and installation savings, fewer components and easier maintenance
10/20/2016
Hospital room design linked to safety
Texas Tech University study finds design may keep patients safer and healthier
10/20/2016
Study says UV light cuts C. diff by 25 percent
Treating empty patient rooms can reduce infection rate in high-risk patients
10/20/2016
Specific heater-cooler linked to infections
CDC warning that one type of heater-cooler device could be spreading a serious bacterial infection
10/19/2016
Psychiatric hospital using cameras as health monitors
Broadmoor High Secure Psychiatric Hospital in the U.K. is giving monitoring the health of psychiatric patients with camera technology a trail run
10/19/2016
HPOE and the Joint Commission partner to create fall prevention tool
The guide describes contributing factors and solutions to prevent falls
10/19/2016
Hospital bed history can create C. diff risk
If the previous patient receives antibiotics, it puts the next occupant at an increased risk
10/18/2016
Joint Commission offering online violence prevention resource
“Workplace Violence Prevention Resources,” provides a range of resources for health care organizations
10/18/2016
Hospitals add family programming for extended stays
Hospitals are increasingly arranging for extracurricular services
10/18/2016
Detroit Medical Center releases plans to correct infection control problems
U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finds numerous issues with sterilization of instruments
10/17/2016
Indianapolis hospital closes operating rooms to conduct air quality testing
Community Hospital North has voluntarily suspended the use of six of its operating rooms
10/17/2016
Pa. hospital security guards to become certified police officers
Training includes qualifying with firearms, criminal and constitution law, and testifying in court
10/17/2016
Identifying patient fall risks
Report describes how five hospitals reduced falls by 35 percent
10/17/2016
Hospitals focusing on security concerns
Survey says most American hospitals finding security more challenging
10/14/2016
HHS to help fund healthcare cybersecurity
Agency recently awarded corporate agreements to fight against healthcare cybersecurity threats and improve information sharing
10/14/2016
Healthcare infection forum focuses on devices and equipment
More attention urged to the role of medical devices and equipment in infection
10/14/2016
Hospital reopens NICU two months after bacteria discovered
Three babies tested positive for Pseudomonas bacterial infections in August
10/14/2016
Cooling towers may be linked to Legionnaires' outbreak
Minnesota Department of Health increased number of cases to 23
10/13/2016
Healthcare environment can help limit errors
Creating spaces with secure point-of-care storage and distribution is one way to medication errors, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
10/12/2016
Officials recommend arming healthcare security officers in N.Y.
A commission at the University of Rochester in New York has recommended arming public safety officers at the university medical center
10/11/2016
Building an energy efficient healthcare facility
Savings for St. Jude Medical Center Hospital came down to the advancements made in delivery and prefabrication
10/11/2016
Seven top-of-mind healthcare facility flooring considerations
From cleanliness and accessibility to heavy wear, wayfinding and promoting a healing environment, hospitals face a stringent set of challenges
10/11/2016
Hospitals use digital signage to improve patient experience
Solutions include wall screens, kiosks and smartphones
10/11/2016
Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, impact healthcare providers
Ransomware is just one area to consider
10/11/2016
Calif. healthcare facilities deploy security robots
Dignity Health System is testing robotic surveillance
10/10/2016
‘Living Walls’ curb toxic air hot spots
Report shows that the contribution of green building envelopes has been underestimated
10/10/2016
High C. diff infection rates at teaching hospitals
Consumer Reports says only two teaching hospitals with at least 500 beds earned top prevention scores
10/10/2016
College's research finds copper helps reduce bacteria in hospitals
Researchers at Grinnell College say using a copper mix for all types of metal materials in hospital rooms can cut down on dangerous bacteria
10/10/2016
Detroit healthcare facility to hire consultant to oversee central sterile department improvements
As part of the Detroit Medical Center's deal with the state, it has agreed to hire a specialty consultant
10/7/2016
Oregon healthcare facility takes earthquake threat seriously
Hospital is ready to be put on alert at any time for a possible influx of patients
10/7/2016
Train crash tests Hoboken healthcare facility's readiness
Hospital's head of security launched into the disaster plan as soon as word was out
10/7/2016
Pictures of early healthcare IT shows how far it's come
The IBM booth at an American Hospital Association meeting in the 1950s showed off a new electronic time system for tracking employees
10/7/2016
Survey shows patient experience key in healthcare construction
2016 Hospital Construction Survey revealed the impact of consumerism on healthcare facilities
10/7/2016
Ohio Hospital Association honored for infection reduction
Hand-hygiene monitoring by med students increases compliance
10/7/2016
Oxfordshire artists 'angry and disappointed' after wood carvings are rejected by hospital
Carvings failed to meet stringent infection control standards
10/6/2016
Patient at another Washington hospital diagnosed with Legionnaires’
Patient at Overlake Medical Center not linked to University of Washington Medical Center
10/6/2016
Despite contaminated heater-cooler devices, Washington hospital still blames Legionella on ice machine
Five patients in the University of Washington Medical Center's Cascade Tower have contracted Legionella infections and two have died
10/5/2016
Most recent UWMC patient with Legionella believed to have been exposed during an earlier hospitalization
Patient likely exposed prior to the discovery of the Legionella outbreak and before water restrictions and Legionella precautions were implemented
10/5/2016
A European perspective on healthcare laundry infection control (Part Two)
Barrier concept designed to prevent cross-contamination
10/5/2016
The $54 million Mercy hospital doesn't have beds
330 staffers place video calls to patients using highly sensitive two-way cameras
10/5/2016
Hospital safety program cuts slips, falls
St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Fla., reduced the number of incidents by 16 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year
10/5/2016
Hospital sued for videotaping surgeries
Effort to catch alleged drug thief compromised the privacy of hundreds of women
10/4/2016
A European perspective on healthcare laundry infection control
Barrier concept is designed to prevent cross-contamination
10/4/2016
Pittsburgh VA hospital moves patients due to ventilation problems
Forty patients were transferred because a ventilation unit failed
10/4/2016
Minn. hospital to pay $20,000 in fines for safety violations
The fines were for 10 violations of workplace safety rules from 2014 to late 2015
10/4/2016
Hospitals and care homes fail food-safety inspections
More than 500 care providers in the U.K., including 19 hospitals and other NHS facilities, have failed hygiene inspections
10/4/2016
Boston Children's 2014 hacker says he did it to support patient
Anonymous said the hack was in support of a patient whose parents were under investigation for medical child abuse
10/3/2016
Providing subsistence foods for Alaska healthcare facilities
A team effort provides traditional meals to patients
10/3/2016
Louisville Healthcare facility gives McDonalds the boot
The lease for the restaurant on the first floor of Kosair Children's Hospital will not be renewed
10/3/2016
Storage bags fight inpatient infection
Storing equipment in breathable polypropylene mesh bags cuts infection rate
10/3/2016