Sustainable Operations - October 2018
A dozen real haunted hospitals
Article details spooky legends of the scariest healthcare facilities
10/31/2018
N.J. gives quick infection control training to three other facilities after deaths of 9 children
The education and training campaign on infection prevention and control practices targets the state’s other pediatric specialty hospitals
10/31/2018
N.J. facility where 9 children died from virus outbreak cited for deficiencies
The longterm care facility in Wanaque has been cited for infection control lapses in recent years
10/30/2018
Protecting healthcare IoT devices
Every healthcare IoT device from insulin pumps and diagnostic equipment to Remote Patient Monitoring is a potential target
10/30/2018
Hospitals seeing continued flow of patients from outside the area hit hard by hurricane
Northeast Florida hospitals say their facilities withstood the storm and now are serving more patients
10/30/2018
Do you have enough cardio suites for your structural heart and endovascular program?
Here are key contextual and analytical considerations as well as eight keys to decisively optimize strategy, planning and right sizing for structural heart program and endovascular facilities
10/30/2018
Should the Hippocratic Oath extend to protecting patient data?
One line in the modern version of the Oath stands out: 'I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know'
10/30/2018
Deer leaves a mess after jumping through N.C. healthcare facility window
A disoriented 8-point buck burst through the window of a Gastonia assisted living facility
10/29/2018
C diff. transmitted through non-critical items
Report says proper disinfection of tools is crucial
10/29/2018
Water scarcity makes case for conservation efforts
Access to potable water is a business continuity issue, but not enough organizations are prioritizing it
10/29/2018
Hospitals not confident about sustaining preparedness for outbreaks
Ninety-five percent of hospital administrators say other priorities reduce their ability to focus
10/29/2018
Woman assaulted twice inside Tacoma hospital
Tacoma General moved her to another wing after the first assault
10/29/2018
Tips to prevent infection and keep healthcare facilities clean
A flu outbreak among senior residents can lead to serious health complications and potentially life-threatening conditions
10/29/2018
7 children dead in virus outbreak at New Jersey healthcare facility
More are ill as a result of adenovirus at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell
10/26/2018
Emergency department has role in climate change
ERs can tribute to climate change mitigation and must prepare to respond to effects
10/26/2018
Sunshine may kill bacteria in dust
Dust kept in the dark contained organisms closely linked to some respiratory diseases
10/26/2018
Health officials monitoring flu season
There are signs the current flu season will not be as widespread or deadly as last year
10/26/2018
C. diff. outbreaks linked to hospital linens
Study offers possible source for Clostridium difficile outbreaks
10/26/2018
WHO expects Congo's Ebola outbreak to worsen without increased response
It still does not yet constitute an international public health emergency
10/25/2018
Houston healthcare facility focusing on security issues
Ben Taub Hospital has had multiple acts of violence in recent years
10/25/2018
Montana hospital implements facility-wide infection-control strategy
New disinfection toolkit for environmental services and bleach-based protocol fight C. difficile
10/25/2018
Simple fixes for thermal comfort
Some thermal comfort issues can be addressed with simple fixes, while others require more time and investment. Here's what you need to know.
10/25/2018
Disinfectant selection is essential for effective cleaning
Adherence to the manufacturer’s label instructions is also key
10/25/2018
Diarrhea spores can survive hospital laundering's high temperatures
Washing bedsheets in a commercial washing machine with industrial detergent at high disinfecting temperatures failed to remove all traces of C. diff.
10/24/2018
Music's power to improve waiting room experience studied
Naval pilots concept uses music and nature to soothe
10/24/2018
Overcrowding at Bronx hospital E.R. leaves patient stuck in hallways
Montefiore Medical Center staff bracing for flu season
10/23/2018
Cybersecurity still possible on a tight budget
A good information security plan can be affordable
10/23/2018
Leapfrog to rate hospital outpatient settings, ASCs
Leapfrog will collect data on ambulatory surgery centers with a voluntary survey
10/23/2018
California law gives healthcare laundries more flexibility
The legislation will allow healthcare laundries to use lower wash temperatures and shorten the wash time
10/22/2018
Video surveillance can boost healthcare facility security
A network video system offers a wide range of possibilities to make a hospital less attractive for break-ins and robberies
10/22/2018
Quad Cities nursing home facing deadline to fix sewage leaks
Pleasant Valley facing state deadline to repair ongoing leaks from its wastewater treatment facility
10/22/2018
Indiana Hospital boosts power capacity
Terre Haute Regional Hospital invested in additional power capacity needs and emergency backup redundancy
10/22/2018
Legionella plan is not the same as a water management plan
State and accreditation inspectors know the difference, even though it may be slight, they can issue a violation for the mistaken identity
10/19/2018
WHO expects Congo's Ebola outbreak to last at least 3-4 months
The outbreak has caused 194 cases and 122 deaths
10/19/2018
Rural hospitals step up during hurricane
Two hospitals provided care within damaged facilities
10/19/2018
Front-line healthcare workers link violence to growing meth crisis
Violent incidents at the Health Sciences Centre has already doubled the number for all of last year
10/19/2018
The contradiction of healthcare facility noise
The activities and systems that are necessary to deliver care and protect patients are the same that produce the noises that disturb patients and obstruct optimal outcomes
10/19/2018
Hurricane forced Florida hospitals to shut down
Storm damaged roofs, buckled walls and shattered windows
10/18/2018
'How’s my hospital running today?' The importance of building analytics
Without seeing the real-time numbers of a hospital, it’s difficult to manage fully
10/18/2018
N.J. hospital's violence prevention program focuses on diffusing situations
RWJ University Hospital Hamilton has decreased the need for security interventions by 42 percent
10/18/2018
Ebola cases in Congo more than doubled since September
There were 33 new cases between Oct. 1 and Oct. 9, compared to 41 cases during all of September
10/17/2018
Florida healthcare facilities evacuated all of their 330 patients due to storm damage
Both hospitals kept their emergency rooms open
10/17/2018
VA hospitals boiler upgrades save money and energy
More than 1,200 Veterans Administration medical centers and outpatient sites across the country are upgrading or replacing a boiler system
10/17/2018
The power needed to deliver quality healthcare
Along with life safety backup power needs, Hendricks Regional Health wanted a backup system that would support air-conditioning for the entire hospital facility
10/17/2018
When hurricane hit, most long-term care facilities hadn’t finished backup power plans
More than half of the 412 Florida assisted-living facilities and nursing homes have yet to implement their emergency power plans
10/16/2018
Assisted care facilities are upgrading emergency/backup power systems to ensure safety and comfort
All assisted care, nursing homes, and medical facilities must meet the backup/ emergency power codes of NFPA 110 and NEC 700
10/16/2018
RTLS tags: Security friend or infection-prevention foe?
Infection-control guidance from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology includes disinfecting or replacing items such as lanyards, identification tags, cellphones and pagers if they come into contact with patients.
10/16/2018
Study finds hospital sink traps may harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria
CPE outbreaks are mostly attributed to patient-to-patient transmission via healthcare workers
10/16/2018
Cleaning curbs therapy dogs' MRSA risk
The risk of infection is greater for people whose immune system is weakened
10/15/2018
Smart lighting strategies for safe, smart healthcare facilities
Implementing more advanced lighting can give healthcare facilities the ability to create a smarter and safer building while improving the patient experience
10/15/2018
Access control: Strategies and tactics for successful upgrades
Effective upgrades of door hardware and security technology requires understanding options and making smart specification decisions
10/15/2018
Washington hospitals seeing increased level of violence
The increase coincides with a spike in the rate of patients who, after being charged with crimes, were found not competent to stand trial
10/15/2018
Chicago nursing home security catches 'ghost' on CCTV
Guard posts footage on Facebook, where it has racked up more than 2.5 million views
10/12/2018
How healthcare facilities can stop cyber-criminals
Healthcare data breaches are in the consumer collective consciousness and organizations are more aware of the issue
10/12/2018
Planning solar power canopies in parking areas
Solar canopies can reduce winter maintenance and give parking areas a distinctive presence
10/12/2018
Laundry staff cuts leads to facility towel shortage
Cuts at Aussie facility leads to residents being dried with hand towels
10/12/2018
Resistance to Ebola treatment remains in the Congo
Current outbreak has a higher reported number of cases than the previous outbreak, with 150 cases reported as of September 28
10/11/2018
UK project will use industry waste heat to warm hospital
The waste energy will be piped to the hospital and other public buildings
10/11/2018
National Infection Control Week: A Week to celebrate healthcare staff and promote hygiene compliance
Healthcare professionals believe technology can play an important role in hygiene compliance and infection control
10/11/2018
Buildings addressing climate change
An increase in extreme weather and lack of federal action make the times seem dark. But facility managers are leading the charge against climate change.
10/11/2018
Hackers, mattresses among top ECRI health tech hazards
The threat of hackers targeting remote access to healthcare systems as named the most pressing issue
10/10/2018
ES department uses simulation program to polish skills
Advocate sets training program in 8,000-square-foot facility
10/10/2018
Developing a successful ASC infection control program
Specific procedures like sterile processing for instrument care should be in place
10/10/2018
Report says 47 percent of emergency doctors have been assaulted at work
Seventy-one percent said they had witnessed the assault of a colleague
10/9/2018
Bomb hoax leads to evacuation of Australian hospital
A total of 36 people were evacuated from the hospital, seven of them in surgery and one anesthetized who had to be woken up
10/9/2018
Designing for LTC patients under 65
According to the 2015 data, in 2014 15.5 percent of long-term care patients were under 65, up from 10 percent in 1998
10/9/2018
Printers can be cybersecurity risk
Printers are servers that are open and available to be physically accessed by anyone
10/8/2018
Nurses share stories of abuse on the job
Over the last 10 years there has been an 110 percent increase of violence against nurses
10/8/2018
Canadian hospital security guards facing increased violence due to meth crisis
Union invites health minister to sit in an emergency room to see dangerous situations
10/8/2018
Poor air quality prompts hospital to warn of infection risk
The issue involved a failure to maintain adequate positive air pressure in three operating rooms and two labor and delivery suites
10/8/2018
Internet of Things makes greener, smarter buildings
Delivering a high ROI by uncovering unseen opportunities in HVAC, energy loads, lighting, water, and renewables, the IoT is an essential part of any smart, green building
10/5/2018
Florida health system defends handling of patients' rape allegations
A federal judge in Florida has ordered Fort Myers–based Lee Memorial Health System to surrender records related to allegations
10/5/2018
Monitoring HVAC levels in sterile processing areas
HVAC must be addressed in compliance with current standards
10/5/2018
How are lighting systems best integrated with other systems?
What are the best practices – and potential challenges?
10/5/2018
Safety risks increase for health workers in Congo Ebola outbreak
Researchers tested 10 freshly laundered privacy curtains
10/4/2018
Employees believe tech can improve hygiene compliance
Healthcare professionals said it’s important for facilities to use tech such as hand-hygiene monitoring systems
10/4/2018
Study finds hospital privacy curtains harbor MRSA
Researchers tested 10 freshly laundered privacy curtains
10/4/2018
CMS focus on Legionella means its time to review water management plan
A good water management plan begins with the facilities management team
10/4/2018
How to improve workflow in the critical care unit
Other top issues included data and analytics, total consumer health, population health services, value-based payments and the digital healthcare organization
10/3/2018
Cybersecurity called key 2019 challenge for healthcare executives
Other top issues included data and analytics, total consumer health, population health services, value-based payments and the digital healthcare organization
10/3/2018
S.C. opens special shelter, evacuates hospital inpatient services ahead of flooding
ER services at evacuated Tidelands Georgetown Memorial continued
10/2/2018
Reassessing healthcare facilities' wireless networking strategy
The expansion of the healthcare Internet of Things creating challenges
10/2/2018
Hospitals need training and reliable systems to deal with food allergies
The issue of food safety in hospitals doesn’t appear to be on the radar for some organizations
10/1/2018
Solar energy keeps lights on at Nigerian hospital
The installation of the system was completed in two hours
10/1/2018
Texas hospital engineers energy savings, boosts patient satisfaction
MD Anderson works to improve temp control in patient rooms
10/1/2018
