Safety - May 2017
Nurses suing Illinois hospital, security firm after being held hostage
Suit alleges security officer ran away from situation and made no effort to help
5/31/2017
Identity management playing greater role in healthcare cybersecurity
The most important thing security professionals can do is maintain control over who has access to the hospital’s systems
5/31/2017
Integrating and balancing resources for healthcare professionals
Leaders should develop process maps and flow charts to identify handoffs between subunits of an organization
5/31/2017
Healthcare IoT comes with ethical considerations
Healthcare IoT devices generate volumes of data about the health and lifestyle of users
5/31/2017
Protecting healthcare facility parking lots with video surveillance
Protecting patients, staff and visitors have become increasingly important in addressing patient privacy, safe guarding against infant abductions and ensuring an overall safe environment
5/31/2017
Healthcare facility's faulty video system helped lead to suit by deaf patients
Two deaf patients won the right to sue Baptist Health South Florida for discrimination
5/30/2017
Houston psychiatric hospital closes after failing safety inspection
Investigators cited the hospital for maintaining door handles, faucets and other items that suicidal patients could use to hang themselves
5/30/2017
Dealing with a violent healthcare workplace
There are ways to reduce the likelihood of violent incidents in a longterm care facility
5/30/2017
U.S. medical devices hit for first time by recent global ransomeware attack
WannaCry ransomware affected some Bayer medical devices
5/30/2017
Former maintenance employee speaks out against N.C. senior facility living conditions
Complaints allege presence of mold, mildew and bed bugs
5/30/2017
Fresno hospitals using ‘eyeprints’ for patient ID
Each time a patient registers for an appointment, a quick photo will be taken to match with the one on file
5/26/2017
California healthcare facility brings in super heroes to promote employee safety
Kaiser Permanente brought Wonder Woman and Spider Man to safety fair
5/26/2017
Patient safety mistakes to avoid
Physician says healthcare has made missteps on patient safety journey
5/26/2017
Generator shutdown means
Both exterior and interior generators are required to have a second means of shutting down the prime mover
5/26/2017
Move to exempt healthcare facilities from Kansas gun law stalls
Unless changes are made, concealed handguns will be allowed in state psychiatric hospitals
5/25/2017
Visitor blames Houston healthcare facility for injuries
Woman is suing a Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and a maintenance provider
5/25/2017
Enhancing the patient experience through building automation technology
Partnership optimizes efficiency to enhance the care and comfort of patients, visitors, and staff at Watson Clinic in Central Florida
5/25/2017
Emergency preparedness deadline approaching for nursing homes and hospices
Many healthcare providers will be required to step up their safety efforts
5/24/2017
Wisconsin hospital offering healthy local food choices
Sauk Prairie Healthcare sources 50 percent of their locally
5/24/2017
Staying on top of the latest trends in the healthcare industry
A building’s performance infrastructure enables patients to heal and clinicians to provide compassionate care
5/24/2017
D.C. hospital probes security officers' alleged wheelchair ‘dump’ of patient
Howard University is investigating an incident involving a female patient left lying on the ground at a nearby bus stop
5/23/2017
Disposing of fluid medical waste
Facilities discuss their choice of liquid waste management in an Outpatient Surgery article
5/23/2017
Healthcare facilities struggle with patch management to block cyberattacks
Workforce shortages and patch management issues came to the fore after WannaCry attacks
5/23/2017
Point of care ecosystem – Greater connectivity improves BP measurement accuracy
A connected point of care ecosystem also protects the quality of the measurement data by virtually eliminating the risk of human error at the keyboard
5/23/2017
Active shooter threat assessment tool offered
Threat assessment checklist available for download on Campus Safety website
5/22/2017
Cleveland Clinic names new food-service provider
Employees could be rehired by Morrison Healthcare
5/22/2017
C. diff-contaminated areas can increase infection risk
Risk increases when a patient is in an area previously occupied by someone with a Clostridium difficile infection
5/22/2017
Healthcare facility succession planning can prevent future pain
Hospitals across the country are facing longterm facility department staffing issues
5/22/2017
John Oliver report alleges DaVita infection control issues
DaVita called dialysis factory where infection control procedures are skipped and patients are rushed on and off machines, sometimes before the process is complete
5/19/2017
Music's power to improve waiting room experience studied
Naval pilots concept uses music and nature to soothe
5/19/2017
The right communication can improve patient satisfaction
Infographic charts key patient touchpoints
5/19/2017
Countries still working to deal with widespread hacking
Officials in nearly 100 countries raced last weekend to contain one of the biggest cybersecurity attacks in recent history
5/19/2017
Nurses taken hostage at Illinois hospital when patient grabs officer's gun
Chicago man, 21, was fatally shot by SWAT team at Geneva hospital
5/18/2017
Greenest hospitals in U.S.
Features include such innovative practices as paperless records, rooftop gardens, water consumption reduction and the maximization of natural light.
5/18/2017
DC VA sited for stained, missing surgical equipment
Surgery had to be halted at the Veterans Affairs hospital after probe
5/18/2017
Utility savings fund Saskatoon hospital upgrades
Facility staff helped plan retrofit in busy healthcare setting
5/18/2017
Hospital bathrooms can be haven for illegal drug use
Standard equipment for hospital security guards may include opioid overdose-reversing drugs
5/18/2017
Future healthcare facilities will not have patients in them, IT expert says
The use of future tech will mean clinicians are monitoring and responding to patients remotely
5/17/2017
IoT expected to disrupt healthcare
Most surveyed healthcare execs say the Internet of Things could shake up healthcare in the next three years
5/17/2017
New Jersey expands elder facility hidden camera program
Program launched to protect elderly and disabled patients from caregiver abuse
5/17/2017
Washington healthcare facility recognized for sustainability programs
'Keeping it local' philosophy helped hospital win Practice Greenhealth honors
5/17/2017
NHS working to recover from global cyberattack
Teams ‘working round the clock’ to fix systems rendered inaccessible
5/16/2017
Hospital door handles called significant source of MRSA
Environments of three hospitals in Ghana studied
5/16/2017
Hospital impaling death blamed on lack of information
Death at Boston Pilgrim Hospital would have been less likely if equipment manufacturer had issued a safety notice, jury told
5/15/2017
Faulty alarm system puts psychiatric hospital at risk, staff says
Personal alarms used by nursing staff regularly break and are often 'useless,' staffer says
5/15/2017
Addressing 'meaningful use' regulatory challenges
Strategic investment in facility infrastructure services can help achieve long-term compliance
5/15/2017
More than quarter of nursing home residents colonized with MDR bacteria
A systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a high colonization rate of 27 percent among residents
5/15/2017
$1 million worth of medical equipment missing from Indiana VA
VA officials say losses are small compared to the inventory’s size, but may indicate poor record-keeping
5/12/2017
CDC study finds most cooling towers test positive for Legionella
Reported cases of Legionnaires' increased by 286 percent between the year 2000 and 2014
5/12/2017
Auditing medical-device reprocessing key
Adherence to sterilization and disinfection best practices ensures patient safety
5/12/2017
383 Sodexo food service workers losing jobs at Cleveland Clinic
The affected jobs include 215 food service workers, 25 cooks, 31 supervisors, and a variety of other positions
5/12/2017
Proposed East Bronx Healthcare microgrid design mitigates risk for four hospitals
The East Bronx Healthcare Microgrid was announced as one of 11 winners to receive a $1,000,000 grant from NY Prize
5/11/2017
Nursing students say they need additional infection prevention education
Nearly 40 percent of respondents believed they needed more training
5/11/2017
Controlling infections in care homes
Preventing the spread of infection in care homes largely comes down to knowledge about hygiene practices
5/11/2017
Hospital investigators, CDC disagree over source of deadly mold
Mold responsible for the deaths of seven patients at University of Pittsburgh hospitals
5/11/2017
Paper sanitizers can curb bacteria
Metallized paper can sanitize surfaces with 10 seconds of treatment
5/10/2017
Redesigning the sterile reprocessing room
Minnesota hospital makes department more staff-friendly
5/10/2017
Ohio university adds healthcare environmental services focus to program
Ohio State University adds healthcare to hospitality curriculum
5/9/2017
Ontario hospital project boost chemo safety
Renovation project to improve safety in handling chemotherapy drugs
5/9/2017
Toledo hospital uses robot to help keep patients safe
Germ-zapping robot destroys bugs in hard-to-clean places
5/9/2017
N.J. hospitals practice response to nuclear attack
'Operation Gotham Shield' not a direct response to concerns about North Korea's nuclear arsenal
5/5/2017
'Superbug' fungus emerging in N.Y. region
Two of the three kinds of commonly used antifungal drugs have little effect
5/5/2017
Surface selection can support infection control efforts
Healthcare facilities' environmental services staff can be challenged by poor surface choices
5/5/2017
Huge healthcare facility relies on healthcare virtualization
Dallas hospital credits technology with better patient experience, improved security and saving time
5/5/2017
Pa. healthcare facility deep cleaning after bedbugs found
Dementia patients moved during fumigation of unit
5/5/2017
Window-washing Power Rangers surprise Philadelphia Children's Hospital patients
This wasn't the first time the cleaners have dressed up for the children
5/4/2017
17 hospitalized after possible chemical spill at Massachusetts healthcare facility
Incidents forced an evacuation of the building
5/4/2017
World Hand Hygiene Day focuses on antibiotic resistance
May 5 highlights the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare
5/4/2017
Is hiring ex-cons in healthcare safe?
Some states have passed laws to keep people with criminal convictions out of jobs in clinical settings
5/3/2017
Healthcare needs IF security talent
Nowhere is the lack of information security professionals more pressing than in the medical industry
5/3/2017
Infection control has silver bullet
Silver has been used to fight infections since ancient times
5/3/2017
Operating room lights covered after metal shards fell on patient
Gold Coast University Hospital has ordered replacement arms for all operating room lights
5/2/2017
Hospitals with the quietest patient rooms
Data tracks HCAHPS surveys from April 2015 through March 2016
5/2/2017
Hospital cleaners awarded damages over toxic fumes
According to their union, the workers were not given any training on potentially dangerous cleaning chemicals
5/2/2017
CDC offers interim guidance on Zika virus for healthcare personnel
So far, there have been no reports of transmission of Zika virus from infected patients to healthcare personnel
5/2/2017
OSHA violence standard for healthcare supported in comments
Expanding the agency's definition of workplace violence also urged
5/2/2017
Duke University Hospital gets mobile water filtration system
Truck is part of facility's emergency response arsenal
5/2/2017
Deadline for emergency preparedness approaching for hospitals
Deadline requiring hospitals to meet new requirements for handling patient safety during emergencies is Nov. 15, 2017
5/1/2017
New Stamford Hospital building designed to be green
Sustainability features key to keeping costs down
5/1/2017