Environmental Services - September 2018
Boston VA hospital patient infected with Legionnaires’
The hospital is retracing the patient’s movements to find the source of the infection
9/28/2018
Ebola, Marburg outbreaks infected high percentage of healthcare workers
Findings highlight need to strengthen infection-control practices
9/28/2018
Healthcare facilities can do more to prevent infections
Hospital-acquired infections can be reduced with evidence-based prevention and control strategies
9/28/2018
Six key steps to creating a safe hospital environment for patients, visitors and staff
The ability to control access remotely, to confirm identity quickly and easily, and to program varying levels of access for visitors, patients, doctors and staff is an absolute necessity
9/28/2018
Energy management and information systems (EMIS) boost efficiency
Rapidly evolving software systems provide visibility and analysis into how a building consumes energy
9/28/2018
Healthcare facilities going high-tech to cater to millennials
Builders need to consider how buildings can accommodate the growing amount of technology
9/27/2018
Indiana hospital back online after computer virus
The hospital was also placed on 'diversion' and all ambulances were sent to other hospitals
9/27/2018
'Heart of Healthcare' winner goes extra mile for patients
Environmental services aide from Hackensack University Medical Center recognized by the Association for the Health Care Environment
9/27/2018
Healthcare analytics market to observe rapid expansion
Hospitals will be the prominent technology end-users
9/27/2018
Surviving outages and shutdowns
Power outages and shutdowns create the same level of stress. The challenge is to make these outages and shutdowns progress smoothly and finish on time within scope and on budget.
9/27/2018
IT challenges to tossing fax machines
Many providers have held onto this antiquated system of communication for decades
9/26/2018
Green Building Council Institute adopts RELi resilience standard
The new standard will complement LEED’s Resilient Design pilot credits
9/26/2018
Nurse describes patient's cleaning liquid death
The cleaning liquid was in a jug beside her bed at the Royal Sussex County Hospital
9/26/2018
Lessons from the latest Congo Ebola outbreak
The biggest issue is we have not learned important lessons from prior Ebola outbreaks
9/25/2018
Studies explore environmental services professionals’ work habits, perceptions
Ninety-six percent of the facilities surveyed had a written cleaning policy for clinical areas
9/25/2018
Repairs underway after Pennsylvania hospital finds mold
Mold found in 'small spots' in Chambersburg Hospital
9/25/2018
Two reasons why ambulatory care facilities struggle with infection control standards
The Joint Commission highlights problematic standards for office-based surgery practices
9/25/2018
Identifying plumbing upgrade goals
Water conservation, less maintenance and improved hygiene are all popular targets of system improvements
9/24/2018
Exit, Ebola: Infection control and the hospital exit room
Exit room concept eliminates dangerous backtracking of contamination within a medical facility.
9/24/2018
Tech lessons from healthcare facilities that survived recent natural disasters
Many hospitals are not ready for a natural disaster
9/21/2018
Jury awards plaintiffs $10 million for Chicago hospital security incidents
Doctor and six nurses filed a joint lawsuit for two separate incidents
9/21/2018
Hospital cleaning staffs retrained after Health Department finds dirty restrooms, floors, walls
Inspectors found numerous sanitation problems at two Lehigh Valley Health Network hospitals
9/21/2018
Minn. healthcare facility cited for secret videotaping
Federal investigation finds that Fairview Southdale in Edina violated privacy rights.
9/21/2018
Right de-icer/anti-icer can improve safety, save money
Hospital grounds maintenance staff are responsible for health and well-being of patients and creating a safe workplace in which clinical staff can care for patients
9/20/2018
One in four Florida nursing homes meet back-up power demands one year after heat-related deaths
No facilities have been fined or disciplined
9/20/2018
Shots fired at Los Angeles healthcare facility
Los Angeles Hospital staff and patients evacuated or sheltered in place
9/20/2018
Healthcare facilities might not be prepared for some financial risks of hurricanes
Long-term effects of storms can linger years after
9/19/2018
Hurricane season tests disaster recovery plans
Nearly half of providers report that they lack a comprehensive disaster recovery plan
9/19/2018
Cleaning fluid hospital death sparks safety concerns
The incident has raised questions about the facility's 'jug system,' about how the jugs are washed and cleaned and how the housekeeping staff know which bedside tables to put them on
9/18/2018
CDC and The Joint Commission release free new infection control resources
Resources address podiatry and orthopedic and pain management settings
9/18/2018
Hospitals are boosting hygiene practices to fight superbugs
One of the best ways to prevent ransomware attacks is to educate employees
9/18/2018
Defending against ransomware attacks
One of the best ways to prevent ransomware attacks is to educate employees
9/18/2018
A year after Hurricane Irma, there are still nursing home preparedness concerns
Nursing homes hit by disaster often struggle to execute emergency plans and protect residents
9/17/2018
Study says paper towels spread fewer bacteria than air hand dryers in hospital bathrooms
Jane Phillips Medical Center/St. John Health System, Bartlesville, Okla., is the 2018 Environmental Services Department of the Year Winner in the 1-249 bed category
9/17/2018
Oklahoma medical center ES team finds success with 10-step program
Jane Phillips Medical Center/St. John Health System, Bartlesville, Okla., is the 2018 Environmental Services Department of the Year Winner in the 1-249 bed category
9/17/2018
California senior-facilities’ staffs allegedly abandoned residents during Tubbs Fire
State regulators moved to revoke the licenses of two Santa Rosa senior housing facilities
9/14/2018
Children’s Medical Center Dallas puts employees first to improve performance
The Texas facility is the 2018 Environmental Services Department of the Year winner in the 250-499 bed category
9/14/2018
IoT security is critical to healthcare
Traditional cybersecurity sometimes lapses when it comes to the IoT
9/14/2018
How UC Medical Center dealt with Cincinnati shooting
UCMC is a Level I trauma center, the only such facility in the region
9/13/2018
Facilities as strategic assets: Navigating the digital transformation of building products and services
The building products, services and solutions industry is being transformed
9/13/2018
Common life-safety violations that can mean lost funding
Government funding involves multiple organizations that all have different standards healthcare facilities must uphold
9/13/2018
Award-winning ES hospital team uses tried-and-true methods
Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Ill., is the 2018 Environmental Services Department of the Year Winner in the 500+ bed category
9/13/2018
VA adding staff after rust and blood were found on surgical instruments
The VA reported recently that there were about 40,000 job vacancies at the Veterans Health Administration
9/12/2018
Teen kills herself in 'suicide-proof' bedrooms hospital unit
The area of the Glasgow healthcare facility was designed with 'safe' bedrooms
9/12/2018
2018 Environmental Services Departments of the Year named
The award recognizes and celebrates best practices in cleaning and caring for the healthcare environment efficiently and effectively
9/12/2018
Prioritizing hospital CEOs’ #1 priority: Cost control and the physical environment
Even as hospitals and their systems grow larger, 62 percent of surveyed CEOs identify “preparing the enterprise for sustainable cost control” as their top priority.
9/11/2018
Charlotte's largest healthcare providers are increasing security
Atrium is reducing access points to its facilities by 45 percent
9/11/2018
Study says Chicago hospital service workers underpaid
The study found that wages have been stagnant for hospital service workers, despite indicators of increasing industry demand and better-educated workforce
9/11/2018
Step aside millennials: Welcome the new kids on the block
Modern software can ease the challenge and facilitate adjustments, helping HR teams respond with agility to workforce generational changes.
9/11/2018
Alternative strategies can eliminate rock salt in snow removal plan
Pre-spreading salt brine and using potassium formate may allow facility managers to eliminate rock salt
9/11/2018
Specific environmental strategies needed in infection control
World Health Organization offers first-ever priority pathogens list
9/11/2018
Florida judge invalidates 14 assisted living code provisions
A proposed rule that would have required hand-washing by staff members after every resident contact was invalidated
9/10/2018
Hospitals can be difficult to protect from gun violence, experts say
Staffing, equipment can be cost-prohibitive
9/10/2018
IoT in healthcare can lead to drastic increase in productivity
Most healthcare tech devices come with some form of connectivity
9/10/2018
Creating a custodial cleaning plan
Infection control and refurbishment were cited as reasons for putting the beds off limits to patients on gurneys
9/10/2018
Overcrowding in Irish hospitals has almost 8,000 patients stuck on gurneys
Infection control and refurbishment were cited as reasons for putting the beds off limits to patients on gurneys
9/10/2018
Control measures working in Congo Ebola outbreak
The outbreak trend must be interpreted with caution, according to WHO
9/7/2018
Nurses fear increasing attacks by patients
Experts say the frequency and severity of attacks on nurses and other front-line hospital staffers has risen substantially during the past decade
9/7/2018
23 infants infected by contaminated equipment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
August 2016 outbreak linked to 'lack of standard cleaning practices'
9/7/2018
Senior care facility cited in death of woman in hospital building stairwell
75-year-old woman was found dead in the stairwell of locked power plant building
9/7/2018
Children’s hospital stages active shooter drills for ER
Children’s Health Children’s Medical Center Dallas began simulations in August of 2016
9/7/2018
Cybersecurity in healthcare evolves with threats
The healthcare industry is one of the top sectors at the highest risk of cybersecurity
9/7/2018
Safety nets installed after glass panel falls from hospital
Panels have fallen from the building at least three times since it opened
9/6/2018
Energy upgrade to save hospital 2 million pounds in first year
Project also expected to cut 10,000 tons of CO2 in a year
9/6/2018
Heathcare facility floors getting more attention in infection control efforts
Disposable mops may cut down on contamination
9/6/2018
Using bulk soap dispensers comes with risks
Certain types of bacteria will grow well in refillable type dispensers
9/6/2018
Tips for hiring healthcare cybersecurity pros
Cybersecurity requires people from all backgrounds and majors
9/6/2018
The role of auditing in cleaning and disinfection
Nurses play a vital role in healthcare settings
9/5/2018
NIST issues guidance for protecting medical IoT devices
The publication covers how to secure against a variety of cyberattacks
9/5/2018
Regulations, Codes & Standards Q&A: Emergency power generators
Brad Keyes discusses regulations for emergency power generators
9/5/2018
LTC managers urged to embrace new maintenance technology
It is important that all maintenance tasks and activities be organized and efficient
9/5/2018
Taking the sting out of snow and ice removal
By addressing issues such as outsourcing, facility needs, levels of services now, managers can streamline responses to storms when winter comes
9/5/2018
Nonsworn campus security officers' wages have not kept up with inflation
Campus Safety 2018 Salary and Benefits Study says the starting median income for nonsworn officers hasn't changed since 2015
9/4/2018
Survey finds many healthcare providers fall short on cybersecurity
A significant percentage of healthcare facilities are struggling to meet privacy and data security standards
9/4/2018
Understanding energy-saving water heater options
Advances in technology in domestic hot water delivery are worth a fresh look
9/4/2018
What healthcare must understand about cybersecurity
Healthcare organizations continue to be the subject of attacks by hackers seeking access to patient data for resale on the black market
9/4/2018
