Sustainable Operations - June 2016
Gloves shown to transfer bacteria between surfaces
Study suggests gloves play role in transferring bugs
6/30/2016
Preventing spread of common superbugs
Interventions can reduce the overall incidence of HAIs
6/30/2016
Infection control credited for curbing MERS in dialysis unit
Surveillance and isolation interventions were conducted in a dialysis unit in Seoul
6/29/2016
Internet of Medical Things exposes healthcare facilities' security weaknesses
With exposure to the Internet comes risk of hacking, viruses, malware and ransomware
6/29/2016
Pasadena hospital deals with infection crisis
Three patients who died last year were infected with the bacteria after having procedures involving endoscopes
6/29/2016
Infographic explores touchscreen hygiene in healthcare facilities
With everything from x-ray screens to ultrasound touchscreens to bedside portals, more screens pose more risk of spreading infection
6/29/2016
Legionella found in Allegheny General Hospital water tanks
Patients and staff in the Snyder Pavilion and Cancer Center were told not to drink the water or use certain ice machines
6/28/2016
Hospitals donate excess food to feed hungry
Practice Greenhealth partners with Feeding America on new hospital initiative
6/28/2016
Healthcare facility retrofits deliver bottom-line benefits
Project challenges amplified by the need to protect the health and safety of patients
6/28/2016
Penn. healthcare facilities equipped for mass shooting
Penn State Hershey would bear the brunt of treating victims from any mass casualty event in the area
6/28/2016
Architect discusses technology’s role in improving healthcare
Healthcare Design asks architect Mary Frazier what in healthcare design has her attention at the moment
6/28/2016
Pictures of bacteria increases hand-washing compliance
Staff members were shown pictures of bacterial colonies similar to those found on their skin
6/28/2016
Healthcare facility mobile phone use may pose infection risk
Mobile phones can spread germs if hospital staff don't wash their hands after using them
6/27/2016
Predictions for bump in healthcare cybersecurity threats realized
Data breaches in the healthcare industry have been steadily increasing
6/27/2016
N.Y. healthcare facility restricts water use over Legionnaires' threat
Jamesville nursing home is not allowing residents to drink tap water
6/27/2016
Hospital wins AHF NY second culinary competition
St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson wins Top Chef-style competition
6/27/2016
Hospital constantly updates disaster-response plans
Indiana healthcare facility is becoming a verified level 3 trauma center
6/27/2016
Narrow wavelength of UV light safely kills drug-resistant bacteria
Potentially safe and cost-effective way to reduce surgical site infections
6/27/2016
Hospitable service can improve HCAHPS scores
Environmental services can play a supportive role in the patient experience
6/27/2016
Gundersen Health System diverts 46 percent of its solid waste stream
Health system's recycling program is part of a larger mission and vision
6/24/2016
Infection scare forces hospital to cancel almost 200 operations
Air filtration system, operating rooms are sanitized
6/24/2016
Purchasing sterile processing equipment: The service partnership
It’s important to evaluate more than just pricing when purchasing expensive equipment
6/24/2016
Seeing red for healthcare facility safety
Outpatient Surgery website lists ways the color red can be used to promote patient safety
6/24/2016
Preparing a hospital communications system for an emergency?
Communication technology has advanced in recent years
6/24/2016
Environmental services strategies for common superbugs
New materials can help improve patient care
6/23/2016
Healthcare Internet of Things can improve patient care
Healthcare organizations are advancing their big data strategies by creating an ecosystem of data
6/23/2016
Hospital food going upscale
Hospitals hire professional chefs and offer room-service dining
6/23/2016
Pennsylvania patient sold heroin from hospital room
Man was arrested at Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg
6/23/2016
AZ healthcare system reports exposure of employee information
Data security breach reported after a break-in
6/23/2016
Hand-hygiene video tracks healthcare workers' hands
Video tracks all of the people and surfaces healthcare personnel touch in one day
6/23/2016
'Ick factor' shown to boost hand-hygiene compliance
Visual cues will get healthcare workers to clean their hands more often
6/22/2016
Germ-zapping robots boost OR infection control
Study shows 46 percent decrease in surgical-site infections after a Massachusetts hospital used disinfecting robots in its operating rooms
6/22/2016
Healthcare facilities moving to microfiber mop systems
Benefits include cost savings, health and safety
6/22/2016
Two new Elizabethkingia cases found in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Health Services says number of confirmed infections in the state is now 63
6/22/2016
New healthcare facility flooring healthy for environment
New materials can help improve patient care
6/22/2016
Security planning for healthcare facility emergencies
Patient-surge events can impact or even shut down a healthcare facility
6/21/2016
Health system recognized with sustainability award
EvergreenHealth receives Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Award
6/21/2016
VCU Health uses patient engagement cart to help tetraplegia patients
Patient engagement system supports a laptop directly overhead of immobile patients
6/21/2016
Sustainable materials offer financial benefits
Green interior design can benefit the financial health of a healthcare facility
6/21/2016
Plumbing systems should be simple and reliable
Know the requirements and technical challenges of the healthcare facility plumbing system
6/20/2016
Aging population expected to create huge senior-care market
By 2020, 117 million Americans are expected to need assistance of some kind
6/20/2016
Internet of Things is disrupting healthcare
Distributed healthcare is the idea that by physically de-centralizing healthcare services better care can be provided
6/20/2016
Healthcare security in the 21st century
Many healthcare facilities have developed contingency plans in the event of a natural disaster or mass trauma
6/20/2016
Healthcare security in the 21st century
Many healthcare facilities have developed contingency plans in the event of a natural disaster or mass trauma
6/20/2016
Body-worn hand-hygiene system increases decontamination
Researchers tested intraoperative hand-hygiene method and personalized, body-worn hand-hygiene system
6/20/2016
CDC offers guide to prevent Legionnaires' disease outbreaks
Better water management could have prevented the majority of outbreaks
6/17/2016
Healthcare furniture getting techie
Some new products can monitor patients, facilitate maintenance
6/17/2016
How to hire and retain a healthcare data security staff
Study says the difficulty in hiring and keeping security experts on staff hampers healthcare facility efforts to secure data
6/17/2016
Utah hospitals with cleanest rooms ranked
Seventy-seven percent of patients report that their room was always clean
6/17/2016
Patient warming methods/equipment tested
Forced air, heat reflective technology and warmed cotton blankets were compared
6/17/2016
How healthcare facilities respond to mass shootings
Facilities have emergency/disaster plans for preparing their emergency rooms and trauma centers for a sudden influx of patients
6/16/2016
Rethinking women’s healthcare facilities
The differences between men and women go beyond reproductive roles
6/16/2016
White paper on energy savings available
'Energy savings — Realistic Expectations' downloadable from Medical Construction & Design website
6/16/2016
Improved scope cleaning with enhanced visual inspection
Advanced technology and intentional visual inspection practices can greatly improve hospitals' processing quality
6/16/2016
Off-site patients stay connected with wearable devices
Wearable medical devices and other technology can help patients stay on track
6/16/2016
Toxic smoke protection for patients, staff urged
Toxic plumes in surgical smoke are a hazard to patients, surgeons, and nurses
6/15/2016
Healthcare facility workflow improved by Internet of Things
Analyzed data can boost quality and efficiency
6/15/2016
Many hospitals are banning flowers, balloons and stuffed animals
Some gifts are no longer welcome in many hospitals working to reduce the risks of infection and allergic reactions
6/14/2016
Connecticut hospital uses a rooftop garden, local farming to boost patient satisfaction
New Milford Hospital champions food as preventive medicine
6/14/2016
Kaiser Permanente shifting foodservice focus to health and wellness
Sustainable purchasing practices, room service and sous vide preparation are part of the plan
6/14/2016
Ottawa hospital to install safety alarms after attack on nurse
Brockville Mental Health Centre is ordered to install electronic alarms, improve staff training and hire security guards
6/13/2016
Healthcare foodservice game changers
The new normal is intense competition among healthcare providers
6/13/2016
Eye care clinic's ultraviolet light systems prevent hospital acquired infections; promote IAQ
UV surface disinfection in St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute's surgery rooms and HVAC systems protect patients from infection during eye operations
6/13/2016
Memphis VA cited after body tissue found in drain
An engineer pipe-fitter was exposed to body tissue while unclogging a drain
6/10/2016
Healthy wireless signals in hospitals
Many leading hospitals are already embracing wireless technology as a means of enhancing both patient care and productivity
6/9/2016
ICU noise levels can exceed standards
A new study shows that noise in the intensive care unit can go well above recommended levels
6/9/2016
Protect networked IP cameras from cyberattacks
Poorly configured devices can offer an opportunity to gain entry into the network
6/9/2016
Weighing the risks of OR surveillance
Secret videotaping of operations to catch a drug thief at a San Diego hospital has led to allegations of patient privacy breaches
6/8/2016
Water restrictions, testing for legionella continue at N.Y. healthcare facility
Engineered filters on all shower heads, bottled water and bagged ice are being used
6/8/2016
Water restrictions, testing for legionella continue at N.Y. healthcare facility
Engineered filters on all shower heads, bottled water and bagged ice are being used
6/8/2016
Developing a floor-cleaning program for healthcare facilities
Key steps combine to make the process more efficient and extend the life of the floor
6/7/2016
Sustainability in stand-alone healthcare buildings
Stand-alone medical buildings and specialized treatment facilities are engineering challenges
6/7/2016
Hospital HVAC retrofit uses external facade return air ducts
Outdoor acoustic panel HVAC ducts look architectural, but are actually seven-story exhaust air riser ducts supplying three ERVs
6/7/2016
Analytics alone don’t save money
Meaningful bottom-line results come from the implementation of recommendations identified by evaluating analytics. The change is a result of people and processes.
6/6/2016
Hospitals with the quietest patient rooms
Data tracks HCAHPS surveys from July 2014 through June 2015
6/6/2016
Healthy energy: Creating outage-resilient hospital facilities
An important step in increasing the resiliency of a healthcare facility is to connect its behind-the-meter energy assets, in order to monitor them around the clock and ensure they will perform as required in an outage
6/6/2016
Hand-hygiene improvement urged for outpatient clinic
Study suggests improvements for infection-prevention practices
6/6/2016
What's a healthcare facility's liability when a patient falls?
Strict policies can help reduce the risk of patient slips, trips and falls
6/3/2016
Study looks at impact of sink location on hand-hygiene compliance
Study examines behavior after care of patients with Clostridium difficile infection
6/3/2016
Using video monitoring to reduce patient falls
For a growing number of healthcare facilities, the right-size solution is a combination of technology and caregiver involvement
6/3/2016
UF Health retrocommission, automation cut energy costs
Performance data helps healthcare facility save millions
6/2/2016
White paper addresses healthcare facility cost-shifting
Three factors are impacting current state of healthcare services delivery
6/2/2016
Violent crime in hospitals dropped in 2015
But research from the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety says assaults are up
6/1/2016
UV light kills CRE in 15 minutes
Study looks at efficacy of using ultraviolet light on high-touch surfaces
6/1/2016
Filter removes viruses from water
A paper sheet made by scientists at Uppsala University can remove resistant viruses
6/1/2016
Healthcare groups launch 'green' purchasing co-op
Four health systems have partnered with two environmental organizations to compete with group purchasing organizations
6/1/2016