Infection Control - April 2015
Workplace violence is on the rise for nursing staff
An Occupational Health Safety Network report finds risks highest among nurse assistants
4/30/2015
Consider systems, human factor to curb infection, study says
Healthcare facilities urged to look beyond isolated practices of staff when working to curb infections
4/30/2015
Healthcare has most nonfatal occupational injuries for all private industries in 2013
One in five reported nonfatal occupational injuries occurred among workers in the healthcare and social assistance industry
4/29/2015
Kaiser Permanente plans increase of solar and wind power use
Kaiser Permanente plans to add on-site solar energy to as many as 170 of its California healthcare facilities, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website
4/29/2015
Successful activating of an ambulatory care center
Activation will involve focusing on operational readiness, facility readiness and move logistics
4/29/2015
Rubber flooring has multiple benefits for nursing staff
Comfort is the benefit most often cited when discussing the positive impact rubber flooring has upon nurses
4/29/2015
Q&A on exit signage
In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about exit signage
4/28/2015
Some healthcare workers not trained on how to clean uniforms in-home
Many healthcare facilities require employees to clean some uniforms at home, but offer no training
4/27/2015
St. Joseph Health saves clinician time and improves patient care with secure on-demand printing
The system needed a solution that would help with printer management issues and user profile corruption in a virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment
4/27/2015
Instilling pride in your housekeeping team
Inspire them and they are going to go above and beyond their daily responsibilities and put patient needs above their own
4/24/2015
International collaboration focuses on patient safety
An international partnership of 16 health systems will collaborate on patient safety issues such as hospital-acquired infections
4/24/2015
Article sees problem with satisfied patients
The Atlantic says healthcare changes have led some hospitals to focus on making people happy, rather than well
4/23/2015
W.Va. veterans clinic closes again due to air quality issues
A clinic in Maxwelton, W.Va., that serves veterans in West Virginia and Virginia has closed again because of air quality issues, according to an article on the Herald Online website
4/23/2015
Healthcare energy management could be big business for utilities
The healthcare sector has an increasingly concentrated focus on the ways in which their facilities get and manage energy
4/23/2015
Toolkits designed to help healthcare facilities reduce energy
The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care launched two new interactive toolkits for healthcare
4/23/2015
Maximizing advanced lighting systems
Automatic sensing, daylighting harvesting and digital communication with other building systems such as HVAC and security are starting to represent the 'new normal'
4/23/2015
Legionella found at West Palm Beach VA again
The Legionella bacteria first appeared at the facility in January and the all clear was given then
4/22/2015
Irish hospital exposes patients to burn risks
Inspectors found unhygienic medication practices and safety hazards at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown
4/22/2015
Missouri hospitals prepare for severe weather
Staffs monitor weather briefings, go through their emergency checklists and test backup generators
4/22/2015
Emergency planning helps Michigan healthcare facility in flood aftermath
Storm brought up to 8 inches of storm water into the hospital's emergency department, the kitchen, radiation oncology, radiology, the in-patient pharmacy, and medical supply storage
4/21/2015
Q&A on egress lighting and battery powered emergency lights
In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about egress lighting and battery powered emergency lights
4/21/2015
Protecting healthcare facilities from dirty devices
Instructions from manufacturers may not be enough
4/21/2015
Healthcare facilities can use model crisis plans to address disasters
Mathematical modeling cuts out much of the human analysis
4/21/2015
Spring is a good time to review long-term care safety
Spring is the perfect time to inspect, repair, install or improve the systems that keep the building safe and healthy, according to an article on the Long-Term Living website
4/20/2015
Q&A on dust on sprinkler heads
In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about dust on sprinkler heads
4/20/2015
Patient violence among ECRI's patient concerns
ECRI Institute's 2015 Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns also includes alarm hazards
4/20/2015
N.D. hospital adds Ebola-ready rooms
Sanford Health adds two new rooms equipped to safely treat patients with highly contagious infections
4/17/2015
Sierra Leone rebuilds healthcare system with eco-friendly medical waste disposal
Freetown's Goderich Emergency Surgical and Paediatric Hospital gets autoclave
4/17/2015
White House asks hospitals to fight health hazards of climate change
Healthcare community asked to help reduce potential harms
4/17/2015
Healthcare facilities automation systems evolve
The evolution of building automation systems follows the development of computers
4/17/2015
Hospital cuts falls with 'virtual sitter' system
St. David's North Austin Medical Center uses new technology to increase safety
4/16/2015
Healthcare power efficiency trends
Healthcare facilities are looking to improve efficiency, resiliency and cost
4/16/2015
Healthcare facilities with the cleanest patient rooms
At least 89 percent of patients surveyed reported that their room and bathroom were 'always' clean
4/15/2015
Maine hospital recognized for recycling program
York Hospital has volunteer 'Green Team' whose works to conserve the environment by ensuring that sustainability becomes an integral component of daily operations
4/15/2015
Long-term costs of infection control
Healthcare facilities are looking for best ways to prepare for outbreaks
4/15/2015
Technology helping hospitals to reduce infections
Automated disinfection systems have evolved to meet the needs of healthcare facilities
4/15/2015
Minnesota hospital brings critical power management into the digital revolution
Operations team ends testing nightmare, says automated compliance reporting and trending beat 'handwritten'
4/14/2015
Rubber flooring can boost workplace safety in healthcare facilities
Rubber floor coverings can help curb muscle fatigue and aching backs, legs and feet
4/14/2015
Indoor air quality linked to lung health
A study said that the quality of indoor air in nursing homes seriously affects the lung health of elderly residents, according to an article on the Long-term Living website
4/14/2015
Technology fights hospital-acquired infections
Healthcare facilities that fail to ramp up their efforts to reduce these types of infections face stiff penalties - among them, a reduction in Medicare payments
4/13/2015
Designing for long-term infection control
Planners and designers are working with clinicians and facilities staff to improve prevention from pre-design programming through specification
4/13/2015
OSHA updates workplace violence guidelines
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has updated its 1995 and 2004 editions of Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers, according to an article on the Long-term Living website
4/13/2015
Tips for leasing medical spaces
Healthcare systems face many hurdles as landlords, including arcane real estate arrangements and complicated regulatory issues
4/13/2015
Protecting healthcare staff from patients
Technology gives staff quicker and more efficient means of summoning help
4/10/2015
UCSF Medical Center gets $800K for sustainability efforts from PG&E
State-of-the-art energy efficiency systems were integrated in the design of new buildings
4/10/2015
Victoria Hospital denies cleaning problems
Whistle blower alleges problems with infection control and general hygiene at the Kirkcaldy hospital
4/10/2015
Advances improve healthcare AV options
Advances in hardware and software offer a wide range of alternatives for presenters and audiences
4/10/2015
Hospital security boosted after nurses express fears following attacks
Australia's Westmead Hospital reacts to reports of violent crimes near the facility
4/9/2015
Splashes can be overlooked risk for healthcare facility workers
Splashes from cleaning bedpans, and emptying suction cups can transfer a pathogen through the eyes, nose, or mouth
4/9/2015
Curbing incidents of wandering at senior facilities
Electronic equipment such as bed and door alarms, video cameras and resident tracking devices can help prevent elopement
4/9/2015
Kansas hospital tests positive for Legionella bacteria
The facility has installed filters in the showers in the long-term care and in-patient units
4/8/2015
Boston-area hospital to use new non-lethal security device
Newton-Wellesley Hospital to introduce devices for its security staff, as hospitals across the country have seen an increase in violent attacks by patients
4/8/2015
Ontario health system stresses locally grown food
Halton Healthcare Services is recognized for locally-grown foods project
4/8/2015
Healthcare design is putting more focus on infection control
Designers are now exploring more automated ways to combat bacteria
4/7/2015
Chemicals used to make products antimicrobial are classified as pesticides/biocides
Fabrics and flooring treated with antimicrobial agents that prevent bacterial growth create more problems than they solve
4/7/2015
Clinical waste is mixed up with linen at U.K. hospital
Waste was dumped in with dirty linen 40 times and sent off to the laundry
4/6/2015
Robots may reduce workloads in hospitals
UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay has 25 robots on staff
4/6/2015
Hospital recycling barriers studied
Most hospitals are collecting 40 percent or less of what could be recycled
4/6/2015
Dirty mops blamed for norovirus outbreak at hospitals
Cleaning staff are reusing mops contaminated with norovirus in north Cumbria in the U.K.
4/2/2015
Q&A on medical gas system deficiencies
In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about medical gas system deficiencies
4/2/2015
HVAC burnout causes week-long EHR outage
California hospital recovering from the fallout of a week-long EHR outage triggered when an HVAC system burned out
4/1/2015
Practice Greenhealth releases new sustainability report
2014 edition of the annual healthcare benchmark report is available for download to members
4/1/2015
Dashboard offer budgetary and management benefits
Healthcare facilities can use business intelligence systems to search for more efficiency
4/1/2015
Designers predict shift from public to home-centric healthcare model
Australian architects expect a decrease in government spending on public healthcare and a push towards a more home-centric and technology-based healthcare service
4/1/2015
Health system offering technology stores
New Jersey medical center opens patient engagement resource
4/1/2015