Environmental Services - April 2017

UPMC sued again for mold infection issue

Case is the seventh involving patients who died after contracting mold infections at UPMC hospitals

4/28/2017



Manchester cancer center fire sparks patient evacuation

Facility does not house patients, but is attached to the main hospital

4/28/2017



New power plant to save Baltimore hospital $750K per year

Baltimore Washington Medical Center's new power plant is also expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

4/28/2017



Healthcare facility design can support security

Healthcare organizations are urged to focus on security in facility design and planning

4/28/2017



Effective space programming can ease growing pains

New technologies and legislation mean that healthcare facilities often must change the way they deliver care

4/28/2017



Montana healthcare facility reviews security after fire

Surgeon’s home was destroyed by a disgruntled former patient

4/27/2017



VDI can boost IT security for healthcare facilities

Virtual desktop infrastructure solutions use an on-site or cloud-based data center to host an organization's files, data and applications

4/27/2017



Biofilm study found high contamination rates on dry hospital surfaces

Researchers collected samples from the hospitals after environmental cleaning procedures were done

4/27/2017



Virginia healthcare facility undergoes deep clean after bacterial infection outbreak

Six patients were infected with extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing Klebsiella

4/27/2017



Bringing from-scratch cooking into hospitals

Chef has introduced local sourcing and from-scratch cooking into healthcare and other institutional settings

4/26/2017



Don’t get caught in the dark, make sure your backup power is hurricane ready

May 15th through the 21st is Hurricane Preparedness Week.

4/26/2017



Staten Island ambulatory care facility built with modular construction

Project expected to significantly reduce construction waste

4/26/2017



Legionella risk management in cooling towers for protective care

Hospital buildings have multiple complex water systems, and since many people staying in hospitals already have a suppressed immune system due to illness, it greatly increases their risk for Legionella infection

4/26/2017



Anesthesia machine cover designed for OR infection control

Anesthesia machines may pose risk for exposure to pathogens

4/25/2017



Legislation would outlaw surgical smoke in Calif.

Bill that would mandate the use of smoke-evacuation systems

4/25/2017



Virginia healthcare facility adds restaurant-style food service

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital redesigns its 14,000-square-foot cafeteria

4/25/2017



Hacked healthcare records could harm patients

Experts say we need to be sure that these practices and products are better and not just creating potential for further resistance

4/25/2017



DMC Children’s Hospital passes follow-up investigation

Michigan healthcare facility no longer in danger of losing federal funding

4/24/2017



Finding pest activity in healthcare facilities

Environmental services departments need to be aware when pests are present

4/24/2017



Infection control 'partnerships' spark concern that industry is leading science

Experts say we need to be sure that these practices and products are better and not just creating potential for further resistance

4/24/2017



MRSA outbreak at UC Irvine hospital undisclosed for months

Outbreak sickened 10 critically ill infants over eight months

4/21/2017



Maintaining security systems during a merger

Because of the disorder that accompanies a merger or acquisition, healthcare facilities can be more vulnerable to security risks

4/21/2017



Real-time locating system can reduce patient wait times

System that uses small locating badges worn by both patients and employees

4/21/2017



Telemedicine saves rural hospital from bankruptcy

Idaho healthcare facility integrates tech-based approaches to care

4/21/2017



DC VA inspection reveals dirty sterile storage

$150 million in unaccounted for items and unavailable supplies was also found

4/20/2017



Ohio hospital asked to increase video monitoring after attempted rape of patient

Patient was attacked in psychiatric unit of ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital

4/20/2017



Rehab center adds mocked-up marketplace, carpentry shop

Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre adds amenities to help patients recover from traumatic injuries

4/20/2017



Janitor training should be flexible for different facilities

Many healthcare facilities are installing luxury vinyl tile and people want to know how to take care of it

4/20/2017



Ignoring access management challenges can be expensive

Healthcare facilities should not rely on manual processes

4/20/2017



Site-specific pest management plan recommended

An integrated pest management plan can deal with pest issues before they become problems

4/20/2017



Virus sends N.Y. healthcare facility back to paper systems

A computer virus created an electronic health record outage

4/19/2017



Wireless access control offers range of potential benefits

Cost and ease of installation could benefit healthcare facilities

4/19/2017



Leapfrog's spring grades show improvement

Hospitals earned more A's and fewer Fs this spring

4/18/2017



Conducting effective infection control surveillance

Infection preventionists urged to 'pick their battles'

4/18/2017



Workplace investigations sensitive and important processes

HR professionals in the healthcare sector should have a solid plan in place when they begin an investigation

4/18/2017



Laughing gas leak leads to lockdown of Nevada hospital

A truck was delivering canisters to the hospital when the leak was discovered

4/17/2017



Robot disinfects ORs in two minutes

Abbreviated cycle time found to be enough for between-case surface cleaning

4/17/2017



Fighting Candida auris fungal infection

Cases of rare yeast superbug are on the rise

4/17/2017



Surprise inspection finds improper linen storage at Pittsburgh healthcare facility

Inspection of UPMC Shadyside hospital also revealed ventilation problems

4/17/2017



Md. hospital NICU reopens after investigation of Pseudomonas bacteria

The hospital invested more than $500,000 in a new water-treatment system

4/13/2017



Cleaning an artificial green wall

Artificial green walls are easier to clean and maintain than living green walls

4/13/2017



Building bridges between application developers and IT through cloud

Developers are the backbone of many businesses, and meeting their needs while also adhering to IT best practices requires strong management processes

4/13/2017



Switchboard fire leads to healthcare facility evacuation

Electrical fire at Canberra Hospital sparks political fallout

4/13/2017



Enterprise resource management drives Triple Aim compliance: Five keys to completing the quest

The three components of the Triple Aim complement and overlap the need to reduce enterprise risk.

4/13/2017



Roaches found (again) in New Orleans care facility

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals previously reported problems

4/13/2017



Study says clean scopes can sit for more than two weeks

Current guidelines say time should be limited to 14 days

4/12/2017



How I stopped worrying and learned to love the gateway

The four benefits of using a gateway in your IoT design

4/12/2017



Linen storage issues found at UPMC Shadyside

Surprise inspection uncovered clean and soiled linens were not stored according to standards

4/11/2017



System uses bacteria to purify water

A University of British Columbia-developed system that uses bacteria to turn non-potable water into drinking water

4/11/2017



Hygiene matters on World Health Day and beyond

Good hygiene is a joint effort that depends on hospital administrators and environmental services staff

4/11/2017



Cal/OSHA’s healthcare workplace violence rules take effect

Effective April 1, some employers must develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan

4/10/2017



Pa. healthcare facility cited for using dirty scope

Crozer-Chester Medical Center allowed an improperly cleaned endoscope to be used in a surgical procedure

4/10/2017



CMS urges action on required emergency exercises

Medical facilities warned not to wait until fall to implement new emergency preparedness rule

4/10/2017



IoT usage in healthcare facilities

A recent paper examines some of the ethical considerations

4/10/2017



Detroit hospitals submit correction plans after inspection

CMS conducted an unannounced inspection at three Detroit Medical Center hospitals in January

4/10/2017



Healthcare facility hacked by ex-employee using two-year-old credentials

Justice Department charged man with one count each of felony hacking and wire fraud

4/7/2017



UK healthcare facility to save £9m with energy upgrade

New low-carbon energy center includes a combined heat and power (CHP) unit

4/7/2017



Ontario healthcare facility hydro bill up despite cutting energy consumption by 25 percent

The cost of energy represents less than one per cent of the hospital's entire budget

4/7/2017



Hospital installs bacteria-fighting operating room light fixtures

Lights reduce harmful bacteria, including MRSA and C-diff, up to 70% beyond routine disinfection

4/7/2017



Biopesticide could defeat bed bugs' insecticide resistance

New compound is based on Beauveria bassiana, a natural fungus that causes disease in insects

4/6/2017



Master planning healthcare wireless networks

Healthcare facilities should assess current and future needs

4/6/2017



Day-specific colored bedding used to improve hygiene

Color-coding can help ensure a sanitation plan is followed

4/6/2017



Aligning healthcare information security with physical safety

Dual security concerns involve different departments with different roles and responsibilities

4/6/2017



Healthcare facility says rising energy bills not affecting patient care

Energy bills at Health Sciences North went up by about $1 million over the past five or six years

4/6/2017



Some fear purple ring symbol in facilities could stigmatize dementia patients

A symbol that would be hung in or outside the room of a patient with dementia is intended to improve workplace safety in Manitoba health facilities

4/5/2017



Wireless cabinet locks facilitate hospital security

Managers need efficient ways to secure medical cabinets

4/5/2017



Amateur radio operators keep emergency communication going at Indiana hospitals

Though called amateur radio, professional first-responders are respectful of its role in their disaster-response plans

4/4/2017



Cutting risk of water-borne infections

The American Society for Healthcare Engineering suggests 10 steps to combat Legionella and other pathogens

4/4/2017



Tips for buying a whole-room disinfection system for an outpatient environment

Whole-room disinfection systems don't replace traditional cleaning methods

4/4/2017



Massachusetts hospital has launched an interactive map and virtual tour platform

The map, built by concept3D using its atlas3D platform, is navigable via desktop and mobile device

4/4/2017



Security at nursing home where sex assault occurred called 'non-existant'

Residents of nursing home in Buffalo, N.Y., were unaware convicted sex offender lived there

4/3/2017



Building automation evolving

BAS may eventually mean automated actions, as well as data

4/3/2017



Insiders linked to majority of February healthcare data breaches

Thirty-one healthcare breach incidents were reported in the month

4/3/2017



 
 
 


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