Environmental Services - May 2018
Survey says: Most hospitals aren't ready for mass tragedy
Nine out of 10 ER doctors say their hospitals aren't fully prepared for major disasters or mass tragedies
5/31/2018
New Florida emergency nursing home power rules now the law
Law enacted after 12 patients at a Hollywood Hills rehabilitation center died in the heat after Irma
5/31/2018
Closing the loop on medical device cybersecurity
To protect themselves and their patients, healthcare facilities must embrace a holistic, lifecycle approach to connected medical device cybersecurity
5/31/2018
Hospital cutting food waste and cost
Providence Health trimming unnecessary food expenditures
5/31/2018
IoT security is critical to healthcare
Traditional cybersecurity sometimes lapses when it comes to the IoT
5/31/2018
Does biohazardous waste get a label or a bag?
Incorrect waste segregation and labeling are among the most common violations for healthcare facilities
5/30/2018
Hawaii State Hospital announces new facility, security features
The hospital plans to build a new $140 million facility with 16-foot high security walls and enclosed courtyards
5/30/2018
Seattle hospital upgrades communications system
Valley Medical Center is expanding deployment of secure communication system
5/30/2018
Hospital food can carry MRSA, VRE
The study shows one or more food specimens were positive for pathogens
5/30/2018
Reusable medical scopes harbor bacteria after cleaning
More than 70 percent of scopes tested positive for bacteria
5/29/2018
Boston hospitals prepare for tragedy
Healthcare facilities' tactics include large-scale drills
5/29/2018
VA expands telehealth regulations
The Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding its reach into more remote areas
5/29/2018
Follow-up finds more violations for embattled Wisconsin hospital
More than 30 new violations were found at UnityPoint Health - Meriter
5/29/2018
Va. health system works to improve cleaning protocol uniformity
Sentara Healthcare recently initiated a campaign to assess the practices used to clean patient rooms
5/29/2018
How worried should U.S. be about Ebola outbreak?
Patients have turned up in Mbandaka, a city of more than a million on the banks of the Congo River
5/25/2018
Bronx-Lebanon Hospital without promised turnstiles, 1 year after shooting
In the weeks following the mass shooting, the hospital promised tougher security
5/25/2018
Six steps to write an energy-efficient hospital audit report
An energy-efficient hospital audit is how the energy consumption of a healthcare institution is measured
5/25/2018
Pa. health network drops food vendor Sodexo
St. Luke's University Health Network moves to local company
5/25/2018
Process and design improvements explored for China's Drum Tower Hospital
American and Chinese hospitals evaluate similarities, differences
5/25/2018
Two more cases of Ebola confirmed in urban area of Congo
Total of three cases confirmed in city of 1 million people
5/24/2018
Emergency department communications badges reduce response times
The average response time is now down to 1.02 minutes
5/24/2018
Senior care workforce by the numbers
A report from senior living industry organization Argentum has quantified the labor crisis
5/24/2018
Health intelligent virtual assistant market is disrupting industry
Health intelligent virtual assistant market to be characterized by the massive exploitation of IoT and artificial intelligence
5/24/2018
New hospital sound design may cure alarm fatigue
The constant alarms of hospital technology called a problem for patient safety
5/23/2018
NHS staff plead for body cameras to prevent assaults
Increasing levels of violence mean staff needed better protection
5/23/2018
App technology is designed for healthcare facility wayfinding
A study has shown that 30 to 40 percent of patients and visitors get lost at the hospital
5/23/2018
Nurses call for use of animals on hospital wards
Royal College of Nursing guidance includes information on infection control, allergy considerations
5/22/2018
Cyberattackers exploit healthcare data security weaknesses
The healthcare sector is the most targeted industry in the first quarter of 2018
5/22/2018
Hospital security departments can help protect domestic violence victims
75 percent of domestic violence victims are targeted at work
5/22/2018
Few Mass. hospitals have enhanced security after stabbing
A Harrington Hospital nurse was stabbed by a patient last June
5/22/2018
Denver patient says surgery was canceled due to contaminated tools
Porter Adventist patient said doctor had to abort his spinal surgery after discovering 'contaminant' on surgical instruments
5/21/2018
New guidelines issued for infection control in GI endoscopy
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy rules based on a critical review of the most current data
5/21/2018
Defending against ransomware attacks
One of the best ways to prevent ransomware attacks is to educate employees
5/21/2018
Building an effective hospital/police partnership
Minnesota healthcare and law enforcement officials released a list of best practices
5/21/2018
Man charged in security officer’s death at Pa. hospital
The officer died a month after an altercation with a psychiatric patient at Heritage Valley Beaver Hospital
5/18/2018
Reassuring patients about facility cleanliness
Review cleaning procedures and improve whatever needs an upgrade
5/18/2018
Study ranks Iowa mostly prepared to handle public health emergency
A national study says Iowa's overall health security level is just under the national average
5/18/2018
Preventing bathing-acquired infections in nursing homes
Bath tubs and accessories can make residents sick
5/18/2018
Studies suggest violence is a virtually universal experience for ED staff
Healthcare facilities have taken a range of security measures to address the issue
5/18/2018
Veggie-focused restaurant opens at Cleveland Clinic
The health-focused eatery focuses on fresh, seasonal produce
5/18/2018
Explosion at California medical facility kills one, injures three others
Explosion in medical building in Aliso Viejo appears intentional
5/17/2018
Using AI to achieve real improvements in healthcare
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy rules based on a critical review of the most current data
5/17/2018
Fla. hospital evacuates critically ill patients after power outage
Emergency power came on later at Kindred Hospital in downtown Fort Lauderdale and allowed the facility to continue to function
5/17/2018
Healthcare facilities boost security after hostage incident
Kane County (Ill.) Sheriff’s Office and Northwestern Medicine both made security changes
5/17/2018
Solar power, other tech, can save hospitals money and energy
Technologies can help can cut costs and improve energy efficiency
5/17/2018
Securing IoT in healthcare is critical
The use of IoT devices is growing in healthcare environments
5/17/2018
Hospital relocation depends on training and IT planning
Parkland Health prioritized IT deployment and moving day coordination
5/16/2018
Healthcare industry–targeting malware increases the need for health informatics professionals
Often, conversations about HIPAA violations center around technological issues. The remaining compliance violations are related to employee actions and behaviors.
5/16/2018
Emergency power system gives N.C. hospital reliability, redundancy and flexibility
Ensures seamless delivery of normal and emergency power to all loads
5/16/2018
Shooting outside Chicago hospital reveals security issues
Two people were shot outside Chicago hospital while waiting for news of wounded relative
5/16/2018
Morrison Healthcare marks 'Stop Food Waste Day'
Atlanta-based Morrison Healthcare is working to increase the number of food recovery and donation programs to serve the hungry
5/16/2018
Ebola is back in the news — make sure your facility is ready
Healthcare facilities should have a pandemic plan and the staff needs to be familiar with it
5/15/2018
IoT technology integrator helps medical device company meet FDA requirements
Establishment Labs must balance safety and regulatory compliance with rapid product development
5/15/2018
How infection prevention can be improved in healthcare facilities
According to the Field Epidemiology Manual, environment is the main source of infection transmission
5/15/2018
WHO promotes hand hygiene in healthcare facilities
Good hand hygiene, including among patients and health workers helps stop the spread of infection
5/15/2018
VA clinic plagued by thieves despite security upgrades
Thieves have repeatedly targeted the site of a Springfield (Mo.) Veterans Affairs clinic
5/15/2018
Disposable cleaning products can help reduce HAIs
More healthcare facilities are adopting single-use, disposable microfiber cleaning tools
5/14/2018
IoT offers new opportunities for healthcare
The rise of the Internet of Things is resulting in a range of advancements
5/14/2018
UV energy can reduce HAIs
To eliminate pathogens from high-touch surfaces, hospitals can incorporate UV disinfection technology
5/14/2018
Mayo Clinic uses bottled water after tap water turns black
Visitors and staff reported that water in toilet bowls turned black also
5/11/2018
Flu activity reported down for fourth consecutive week
Only 1 of 10 U.S. regions reported outpatient flu activity at or above region-specific baselines
5/11/2018
Seniors expected to shake up facility food service
Study identifies five ways tomorrow's seniors could affect foodservice offerings
5/11/2018
Privacy curtains challenge infection control efforts
Most facilities are still using privacy curtains to avoid expensive remodels
5/11/2018
Three strategies to minimize regulatory overload
In recent years, clinical staff and facilities managers alike have seen an increased amount of time spent on regulatory compliance, which can take away from other valuable initiatives
5/11/2018
Photos of messy VA hospital exam room go viral
An internal investigation is underway to determine why the vet was placed in a dirty room
5/10/2018
Scabies outbreak kills 93-year-old in Georgia nursing home
Shepherd Hills had multiple scabies outbreaks in recent years and a history of health violations
5/10/2018
S.D. hospital says it has taken immediate action on medical waste protocols
A senior Region Health official said the hospital is taking new steps to make sure medical waste is being disposed of properly
5/10/2018
Providence St. Joseph Health launches telehealth in more than 100 facilities
Telehealth network that will offer more than 50 specialty services
5/10/2018
Healthcare facility kitchens don't have to be noisy
Small steps in facility design and equipment selection can greatly reduce noise levels
5/10/2018
S.D. hospital mixing medical waste with common trash
Despite city warnings, healthcare facility still mixing waste types
5/9/2018
Why the time is now for a mobile facility information technology revolution
Advances in mobile tech enable facility managers to build an entirely new model for healthcare facilities management.
5/9/2018
Strategic programming for healthcare facilities
Clear and effective communication of information throughout the process is critical to the success of a facilities project
5/9/2018
Flies in operating rooms force VA hospital to postpone surgeries
West Los Angeles veterans hospital struggling with insect infestation
5/8/2018
Vancouver Island hospital security officer honored for disarming attacker
The security officer wrestled the man to the ground and secured the room
5/8/2018
1,000 hospitals get a Leapfrog 'C' or worse
Safety and infection control common issues for facilities
5/8/2018
'Granny cam' bill advances in La.
Nursing home leaders criticized for attempting to water down legislation
5/8/2018
Preventing workplace violence without adding security
Joint Commission suggests seven policies and procedures
5/7/2018
Union workers picketing at Kaiser facilities
The union said that the informational pickets are not a strike and will not affect patient care
5/7/2018
Clean hospitals, hands best tools to reduce C. diff
A new study suggests combining the efforts results in a larger decrease than delivering those interventions on their own
5/7/2018
Vermont healthcare facility has real-time, interactive energy kiosk
The kiosk displays a real-time weather and energy consumption dashboard
5/7/2018
There's room for improvement in controlling Legionella
Legionnaires’ disease has been on the rise in the United States since 2000
5/4/2018
Hospitals, manufacturers still struggling to clean medical scopes
New study says 71 percent of reusable medical scopes tested positive for bacteria after cleaning
5/4/2018
Some providers need to catch up with telemedicine
Telemedicine may be the most rapidly evolving area in healthcare
5/4/2018
Hospital contractor under fire over substandard food service
The hospital is hit by complaints over bland, poor quality and late meal deliveries
5/4/2018
Two reasons why ambulatory care facilities struggle with infection control standards
The Joint Commission highlights problematic standards for office-based surgery practices
5/4/2018
Utah hospital practices for earthquake aftermath
Shriners Hospitals for Children — Salt Lake simulated a situation two days after an earthquake
5/4/2018
University Hospitals changes equipment at the lab after fertility clinic failure
The hospital has new tanks, alarms and remote monitoring
5/3/2018
UK hospital fined for Legionnaires' death
The Royal United Hospital in Bath has been fined £300,000 for health and safety breaches
5/3/2018
Study finds most endoscopes contain bacterial growth after reprocessing
Studies suggest current reprocessing methods are ineffective
5/3/2018
How can hand-hygiene compliance be improved?
The CDC says healthcare providers are cleaning their hands less than half as much as they should be
5/3/2018
N.Y. long-term care center has bistro with kosher foods, Ommegang
Senior care center built a bistro where residents and families can 'eat out' while staying in
5/3/2018
How hospitals respond to mass casualties like Toronto’s van attack
When healthcare facilities hear 'Code Orange' they get ready for patients’ arrival
5/2/2018
Enter the hospital change maker: Supply chain of the future
Having complete visibility into operational data, from the supply chain to finance and even into HR, in one system is becoming a revolutionary change-maker for hospitals
5/2/2018
Pa. healthcare facility adds calming live music to common areas
New arts department created a variety of art and music therapies at the hospital
5/2/2018
Monitoring systems support hand-hygiene efforts
New technologies include electronic and video hand hygiene monitoring systems
5/2/2018
East Texas hospital practices disaster drills
The simulation was designed in part to practice evacuate existing patients due to infrastructure issues
5/2/2018
Registered sex offender banned from seeing son in St. Louis NICU
Hospital said he violated mandatory escort policy
5/1/2018
Food waste management serves up a perfect recipe for cost savings and sustainability
Reduce pre-consume food waste by 50 percent or more and reduce annual food purchases by 2 percent to 6 percent
5/1/2018
Massachusetts hospital deploys security video management software
Massachusetts General Hospital has 1,300 security cameras recording around the clock
5/1/2018
