Environmental Services - August 2014
Child killed by security golf cart in hospital parking lot
Three-year-old was hit by vehicle driven by Aiken Regional Medical Center security guard
8/29/2014
Healthcare facilities turning to data centers as technology needs grow
Options for data storage include new or renovated facilities located on or off campuses, outsourcing to third-party operators and cloud services, according to an article on the Healthcare Design
8/29/2014
White paper on antimicrobial protection available
'Antimicrobial Protection for Public Building Applications' can be downloaded for free
8/29/2014
Experts question hospital infection-control policies
Screening and isolating infected patients not proven effective
8/29/2014
HVAC and solar features help Pennsylvania hospital cut costs and energy use
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is saving up to $500,000 annually in energy costs
8/29/2014
Probe finds hospital security not properly trained after man jumps to his death
The St. Luke's University Hospital security guard had not been fully trained in monitoring patients, according to Pennsylvania state investigation
8/28/2014
UK hospital has its own school and gardens
St Aubyn's Centre has a school attached and patients' rooms have private gardens
8/27/2014
Healthcare waste disposal ideas sought
Product developer searching for ways to improve hazardous waste disposal in healthcare facilities
8/27/2014
Healthcare organizations have a range of data center options
Survey says data center projects are expected to remain prevalent for some time, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
8/27/2014
Maryland hospital trains for emergency drill
Statewide exercise tests rapid response during an earthquake
8/27/2014
Optimizing hospital security with identity management software
Need for security must be balanced with the individual's need to easily move about the hospital
8/27/2014
Trends in essential power systems
Trends include testing back-up power use and expanding power-monitoring requirements
8/27/2014
Study says C. diff patients will contaminate some staff
Healthcare workers urged to take extra precautions
8/26/2014
Backflow preventers Q&A
In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about backflow preventers
8/26/2014
Critical access hospital re-imagining care delivery
Critical access hospitals are evolving with changes in healthcare delivery methods, technology and demographics
8/26/2014
Study says health workers exposed to high levels of antibacterial soap chemical
Effects of potentially unsafe levels of triclosan under review by the Food and Drug Administration
8/26/2014
OSHA fines Boston-area hospital for unsafe conditions
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital fined for mishandling of medical waste
8/25/2014
CMS backs new dining practice standards
Nursing homes should encourage seniors to be informed on how to select the best foods to fit their needs, according to an article on the Long-Term Living website
8/25/2014
Preventing common hospital accidents
Ensure facility workers remember dangers by recognizing some of the most common hazards in your environment
8/22/2014
Century-old trees to be removed from Georgia hospital
Trees at Gwinnett Hospital declared unsafe after storm
8/22/2014
Bellevue Hospital gets $117 million in Sandy aid
Federal grant to help the city repair storm-related damage to Bellevue
8/22/2014
Hospitals lauded for cutting energy use
American Society for Healthcare Engineering has recognized the hospitals' efforts as part of its Energy to Care program
8/22/2014
New Hampshire hospital trucking in natural gas to cut energy use
Keene facility switched from fuel oil to decrease carbon footprint
8/21/2014
Infection control recommendations for Ebola questioned
Healthcare Coalition for Emergency Preparedness says CDC issuing contradictory guidelines
8/21/2014
Room-service approach improving hospital food
Hospitals switching to a room-service-style model and leaving basic two-choice model behind
8/21/2014
Video shows flood waters burst through Nebraska hospital
Good Samaritan Hospital surveillance footage shows the flash flood waters burst through the cafeteria
8/20/2014
ACA may mean the end of bad hospital food
The Affordable Care Act has changed the game for hospital food-service providers
8/20/2014
FGI Guidelines Q&A
In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about FGI Guidelines
8/20/2014
Reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections
The importance of the role of the environmental service department has moved beyond making sure a patient's room is sanitary
8/20/2014
Air flow path matters in patient rooms
Computational fluid dynamics simulations help in visualization of airflow patterns, temperature distribution, concentration of contaminants and flow path of airborne pathogens
8/20/2014
Study compares hand hygiene and environmental cleaning
Hand-hygiene compliance outperformed cleaning in infection control
8/20/2014
Georgia medical center working to balance gun law, safety
Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014 will likely mean guns can be brought onto the hospital campus
8/19/2014
Looking beyond the traditional clinic
Health services are branching out to alternative sites
8/19/2014
Building energy intelligence in a large hospital
Australia's major hospitals evaluates the energy savings potential for deploying a predictive energy optimization platform
8/19/2014
OSHA updates respiratory protection directive for hazardous chemicals
Employers may be cited for violating the OSHA standard even when workers are voluntarily wearing filtering facepiece respirators
8/19/2014
Walmart opens primary care clinics
They will be open longer and later than competitors: 12 hours per day during the week and another 8-plus hours per day on weekends
8/19/2014
OSHA cites Brooklyn hospital over violence to employees
Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center told to implement a workplace violence prevention program immediately
8/18/2014
Mercy Virtual invests in telemedicine
Virtual medical center has the potential to improve care and hospital revenues
8/18/2014
Pennsylvania hospital found noncompliant after patient jumps from window
St. Luke's University Hospital-Bethlehem was not compliant with certain safety regulations
8/18/2014
Implementing a sporicidal daily disinfectant cleaner in a community hospital
Initial results showed 36.5 percent more cultures had no microbial burden after the product change
8/18/2014
Environmental services to expand, promote influence
Association for the Healthcare Environment executive director says ES managers will also focus on shaping the profession
8/18/2014
Nebraska hospital hit with severe flooding
Flood waters at Kearney's Good Samaritan Hospital broke through the two-story ground-to-ceiling windows of the dining room
8/15/2014
Healthcare providers accounted for majority of recent data breaches
The Department of Health and Human Services recently submitted its annual report to Congress about breaches of unsecured protected health information for 2011 and 2012
8/15/2014
Vegas betting on facilities to attract medical tourism
The Las Vegas Regional Strategic Plan for Medical and Wellness Tourism was recently unveiled
8/15/2014
Hand-sanitizer dispenser's color can increase hygiene compliance
A recent study showed that bright red hand-sanitizer dispensers can increase hand-hygiene compliance in hospitals
8/15/2014
Maintenance is a reliability and compliance issue
Power management strategy comes in where both issues meet
8/15/2014
Atlanta hospitals to cut waste by 65 percent
Emory hospitals are implementing a new recycling program in the operating rooms and other patient care areas
8/15/2014
Hiring key in evolution of senior food service
Facilities must recruit experienced chefs who may not have backgrounds in senior living
8/14/2014
London hospital hopes to cut energy costs by 1 million pounds
St. George's Hospital has adopted an energy performance pact to try to lower its costs by 25 percent
8/14/2014
Antimicrobial fogging and misting protocols approved
The EPA has approved protocols that would allow antimicrobial product developers to register disinfection and sanitizer products intended for fogging or misting applications
8/14/2014
Study says flashing lights increase hand hygiene
Hand-hygiene compliance at one hospital doubled after flashing red lights were placed on hand sanitizer dispensers
8/14/2014
Bed rail entrapment linked to mattress size, loose rails
Irish study says poorly sized or compressible mattresses may increase risk, according to an article on the Long-Term Living website
8/14/2014
Life Safety Code for IT closets
According to the 2000 Life Safety Code (LSC), there are no requirements to do so
8/13/2014
The Chief Facilities Officer's emerging role
The CFO is a change agent, guiding the evolution of the facility capital planning and management process
8/12/2014
Traditional commissioning doesn't fully address healthcare technology
Commissioning is focused only on contractor-furnished items and usually ignores integrations with owner-furnished medical technologies
8/12/2014
Second flooding at Irish hospital investigated
Letterkenny General Hospital says damage is less than last year's
8/12/2014
Data helps sell healthcare energy efficiency efforts
Solid data can drive programs, track progress and do internal and external comparisons
8/12/2014
Toledo EDs dealing with toxins in water supply
Hospitals have backup water sources for this and related water-compromising scenarios
8/11/2014
Smoke detector Q&A
In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about smoke detectors in IT closets
8/11/2014
Georgia hospital using three germ-zapping robots
St. Francis Hospital in Columbus uses disinfection devices to go beyond regular cleaning
8/11/2014
Hospital's sponsored space brews concern
Dunkin' Donuts-sponsored family lounge at children's hospital - complete with free coffee - may be sending mixed signals, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
8/11/2014
Exotic animals help nursing home patients
Massachusetts facility has llamas, alpacas, saltwater fish
8/8/2014
New fabric may fight HAIs
Large health system to begin using uniforms made of a fabric designed to help fight pathogen transmission
8/8/2014
Healthcare TV trends
TVs are much more than a way for patients to kill time. They are becoming an important part of a hospital stay
8/8/2014
Facilities need a bedbug control plan
While attention is usually given after bedbugs are found, what a facility does before they are detected can be more important
8/7/2014
'Mouse ridden' New Jersey facility gets clean bill of health
The facility is now in compliance with state law per a Department of Community Affairs inspection, the owner says
8/7/2014
Wireless controls are standard building automation
Wireless communications technology enables building automation system technology and mission-essential building systems
8/7/2014
Delhi hospitals cited for inadequate fire-safety measures
Problems were primarily with non-functioning fire fighting systems
8/7/2014
Legionella bacteria found in water at two Alabama VAs
Montgomery, Tuskegee facilities find bacteria in water supplies
8/6/2014
Integration can improve healthcare facility management
Today's facilities are complex environments that must support many diverse functions
8/6/2014
Tips to improve wayfinding signage
Many healthcare facilities fall into a middle ground between easy-to-find and needing-a-GPS building layouts
8/6/2014
Building deficiencies found at Maine hospital
Building safety codes issues found at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport
8/6/2014
Nursing home worker alleges she wasn't warned of shooter drill
Nurse says she was traumatized after she was 'taken hostage' during safety exercise
8/6/2014
Dozens of Alberta health facilities lack fire sprinklers
More than 80 facilities are not equipped with sprinklers and another 50 only have sprinklers in some areas
8/6/2014
Infection prevention recommendations for Ebola patients
Standard, contact and droplet precautions are recommended by the CDC for management of hospitalized patients with known or suspected Ebola Viral Disease
8/5/2014
New CMS regulations could mean changes for healthcare facilities
A key change would involve a requirement that 'high-rise' buildings be sprinklered throughout
8/5/2014
'Nightmare bacteria' spread in Southeast
Spread of these superbugs could be fueled in part by gaps in infection control in hospitals and long-term care facilities
8/5/2014
Minnesota hospital stops to increase patient safety
Rice Memorial Hospital uses red stop sign to indicate a no-interuption zone
8/5/2014
Ventilation checks Q&A
In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about ventilation-check frequency
8/5/2014
S.C. hospital revises procedures after infection outbreak
Four surgical patients die at Greenville Health System due to a mycobacterial infection
8/4/2014
Hospital vending machine dispenses fresh foods via RFID
Machine has a built-in RFID reader to track the items stored inside the unit via tags affixed to food packaging
8/4/2014
NIOSH outlines response to sewer gas exposure
Report created in response to request from employees at a Kentucky medical office building about concerns of exposure
8/4/2014
Irish hospital food service hit with complaints
Food service budgets slashed in last two years
8/4/2014
Physician shoots armed patient at Philadelphia hospital
Facility policy allows only on-duty law enforcement officers to bringing weapons onto the campus
8/1/2014
Abilene facility makes energy upgrade
Abilene Regional Medical Center is updating its HVAC system and retrofitting more than 1,000 lighting fixtures to save $85,032
8/1/2014
Solar energy project planned for D.C. hospital
Renewable energy project to bring solar power from North Carolina to the D.C.
8/1/2014