Sustainable Operations - March 2018
Parents say Florida hospital allowed tribal police to kidnap newborn
Hospital security personnel accompanied tribal police in taking the baby
3/29/2018
Mass. hospital steps up security after former employee sends troubling email
South Shore Hospital added security after the incident involving the former employee
3/29/2018
Survey shows some decreased hospital security training
350 respondents participated in Campus Safety magazine’s 2017 Hospital Security Survey
3/29/2018
Severe weather: The four extreme threats safety personnel need to know
Seventy-eight percent of disasters recorded in the United States each year are weather-related
3/29/2018
Veterans hospital killings spotlights healthcare worker risks
Serious workplace violence is on average four times more common in healthcare settings
3/29/2018
Fire that threatened Amarillo hospital district brought potential evacuation lessons
Office of Emergency Management director discusses preparing for a worst-case scenario
3/28/2018
Air disinfection in an inpatient pharmacy using a shielded ultraviolet C system
A tertiary care hospital’s success story
3/28/2018
Lawmakers seek OSHA standard on healthcare facility violence
Standard would require healthcare facilities to develop and implement facility- and unit-specific workplace violence prevention plans
3/28/2018
Technology changing healthcare design process
Systems that help understand doctor and nurse workflows can simplify design choices
3/28/2018
Dealing with elderly patient wandering, elopement
The number of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is skyrocketing
3/27/2018
Maximizing healthcare facility HVAC system output
HVAC optimization involves automatically controlling HVAC systems to deliver work at energy-efficient levels
3/27/2018
Nurse killed in UAB-Hospital Highlands shooting
Another employee was injured and the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound
3/27/2018
Resiliency a growing concern in healthcare design
Power outages have been the most common resiliency-related events in the past three years
3/27/2018
Maximizing cooling tower technology for HVAC, power and industrial applications
New technology advancements provide up to 50 percent more cooling capacity, greater energy and installation savings, fewer components and easier maintenance
3/27/2018
Study identifies the high-risk surfaces for C. diff
Researchers sampled 16 sites within patient isolation rooms and patient bays to determine the hardest-to-clean areas
3/26/2018
ECRI Institute ranks 2018's top patient safety risks
New risks, existing concerns that are changing because of new technology, and persistent issues made the list
3/26/2018
Union says VA facilities should have armed security
The 600 officers protecting VA campuses in California are unarmed
3/23/2018
Nurse shortages and crowded wards could reverse infection prevention progress
Antibiotic Research UK said the bed occupancy at NHS hospitals make the spread of bacterial infections more likely
3/23/2018
Maximizing cooling tower technology for HVAC, power and industrial applications
New technology advancements provide up to 50 percent more cooling capacity, greater energy and installation savings, fewer components and easier maintenance
3/23/2018
Infected previous bed occupants, roommates increase HAI risk
Odds of infected patients having been exposed to a roommate with the same organism were 4.82 times
3/23/2018
Ultrasound, MRI reports highly vulnerable to cyber crimes
Healthcare saw a 210 percent increase in publicly disclosed security incidents in 2017 over 2016
3/23/2018
Sex offender sues Wis. hospital that won’t let him visit son
The suit argues the hospital's visitation policy is 'cruel and causes unnecessary harm to families and innocent children'
3/22/2018
Security increased at fertility center after freezer malfunction
Officer wearing a bullet-proof vest stationed at the main entrance front desk
3/22/2018
Customers, research & development are lifeblood of evaporative cooling tower innovations
Customers actively seek energy efficiency, easy installation, low maintenance and operational reliability
3/22/2018
Alaska psychiatric hospital investigated for workplace safety issues
Workplace safety issues and fear of retaliation at Alaska's state-run Alaska Psychiatric Institute will be probed
3/22/2018
Cooling failures at fertility clinics may have damaged hundreds of eggs
San Francisco fertility clinic experienced a liquid nitrogen failure in a storage tank holding thousands of frozen eggs and embryos
3/21/2018
A guide to healthcare background checks
More than one-third of the acute care hospital beds are in older buildings that will not be able to contain those beds unless they are upgraded by that date
3/21/2018
UK hospital fire safety walls won't be fixed until late 2019
The breaches in walls at the Coventry hospital were discovered in 2016
3/21/2018
Dental clinic accused of using contaminated water during procedures
Suit says office failed to actively monitor the water quality or disinfect water lines
3/21/2018
OSHA orders Colo. facility to protect staff
Pioneer Health Care Center in Rocky Ford was fined more than $9,000
3/20/2018
Nurses union to press charges against abusive patients
The measure follows years of the union pushing for better hospital security and nurse training
3/19/2018
Time for technology to take on tough staffing challenges
It’s never been more important for healthcare facility managers to focus on strategic staffing and retention. The right technology is here to help.
3/19/2018
Top online security blogs to watch
VPN Mentor website lists blogs offering most up-to-date news, insight and analysis
3/19/2018
Safety precautions for hospital construction projects
The expansion of existing healthcare facilities requires planning for the safety of both patients and construction workers
3/19/2018
Mobile telehospitals bring care to where it’s needed
Mobile healthcare facility offers options for acute and longterm care
3/16/2018
Parkland lighting system improves patient flow
The hospital partnered with Toyota to implement new emergency department processes
3/16/2018
Hospital used multifaceted plan can stop C. diff
Stillwater (Oklahoma) Medical Center has not seen a hospital-acquired case of C. diff since October 2017
3/16/2018
HVAC experts suggest natural ventilation be allowed in most spaces outside of operating rooms
Natural ventilation is defined as the transport of fresh air through non-mechanical means, according to an article on the Healthcare Design website
3/16/2018
Long Beach hospital on active earthquake fault to close
Running the hospital has become increasingly difficult because staff members are leaving
3/15/2018
Idaho hospital incident raises questions about arming hospital security guards
Pocatello police negotiated with an armed, suicidal man in the parking lot of Portneuf Medical Center
3/15/2018
Housekeeping audit finds problems at B.C. healthcare facility
Supervision and training at the Arrow Lakes Hospital
3/15/2018
Report says Madison hospital failed to respond after first reports of abuse in NICU
Recently a security officer was assigned to the NICU front entrance and rounding on the unit 24/7 until video monitoring cameras in NICU rooms are installed and activated
3/14/2018
Floor care can make or break an impression
Many people think a shiny floor is equally slippery
3/14/2018
Report says healthcare's biggest security threats come from inside
Healthcare only industry in which internal actors are the biggest threat to an organization
3/14/2018
'No concern' of Ebola at Va. healthcare facility
A 'safety zone' has been set up for the care of a patient from West Africa at the Winchester Medical Center
3/14/2018
Robotic comfort seals clear infection control hurdle
Seals that respond to touch and speech will be used on dementia wards
3/13/2018
California hospital makes financial turnaround using 'patient-centric' care
Sharp Coronado Hospital offers amenities such as massage, acupuncture and freshly baked cookies
3/13/2018
Conn. hospital ER reopens 9 days after man crashed into facility
While the fire was contained to the lobby, the entire ER was affected
3/13/2018
University developing self-cleaning surface that destroys bacteria when exposed to light
The coating is a non-toxic photocatalyst ceramic that produces continuous oxygen radicals at the surface
3/13/2018
NFMT event to include seminar on the IoT
The 2018 National Facilities Management & Technology event offers three full days of education, speakers, networking with peers, and a giant expo hall. All for free.
3/13/2018
Drivers struggle to bring doctors, organs to hospital during blizzard in Ireland
Defense Forces deployed 290 soldiers and 117 vehicles to fight Storm Emma
3/13/2018
Cape Town hospital installs water filtration system
The project is part of an effort to reduce the facility’s demand on municipal water supply
3/13/2018
CDC says flu season has peaked
The 2017-18 influenza season peaked in early February and is now on the decline
3/12/2018
Hospital switches delivery model to improve food service
Eastern Health has partnered with Morrison Healthcare with the Steamplicity system
3/12/2018
Senior facility installs security cameras after patient is injured
80-year-old woman was assaulted by another resident and left with broken ribs
3/9/2018
Circadian-based lighting can speed healing
Usual healthcare facility lighting developed with energy consumption in mind
3/9/2018
Uber Health, a B2B transportation platform, launched
Services available specifically to healthcare providers
3/9/2018
Cybersecurity, digital failures called top hospital hazards
The ECRI Institute releases its list of top healthcare technology hazards for 2018
3/9/2018
Coroner links hospital food to boy's death
Melbourne hospital gave patient breakfast with allergens
3/8/2018
New nursing homes backup power rules go to Florida lawmakers
The rule was issued after residents died in a sweltering South Florida nursing home following Hurricane Irma
3/8/2018
When fresh air in hospitals went out the window
Hospital went from luxury resorts to windowless boxes in the 1940s
3/8/2018
Former Conn. hospital security guard claims he lost job over his safety complaints
Guard said he had to resign after the hospital failed to address safety issues
3/8/2018
Oklahoma Healthcare facility lends cleaning robot to schools
The extra layer of protection was deployed in buildings that have had high absence rates due to illness
3/8/2018
N.C. senior facilities take precautions as state flu deaths pass 200
Twenty-six of the flu victims who died were 65 and older and five of those deaths were between 50 and 64
3/8/2018
Plastic coatings with antimicrobial additives can help control infections
Integrating antimicrobial additives into plastic and polymer surfaces can make them inhospitable to bacteria
3/7/2018
Threat of healthcare data breaches growing
In 2017, security breaches exposed 5.6 million patient records to external hackers and insider threats
3/7/2018
Report finds U.S. hospitals ill-equipped for large disasters
Healthcare systems perform well in localized disasters
3/7/2018
Toaster oven fire sparks partial evacuation of N.J. healthcare facility
Water from the sprinkler system damaged areas of the hospital
3/6/2018
Surgeon links double lung transplant to surgical smoke
After years of inhaling surgical plume, surgeon was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
3/6/2018
Video reveals level of violence in Australian hospitals
Footage shows patients spitting, punching and attacking medical staff with a chair
3/5/2018
Mass notification systems are becoming more common
The market is expected to reach $293.1 million in 2021
3/5/2018
Two Southwestern hospitals are taking the lead in efforts to help create sustainable communities
The Christus Spohn Hospital, Corpus Christi, Texas, and the University of Oklahoma Medical Center in Oklahoma City are piloting a new USGBC standard
3/5/2018
Conn. hospital reviewing security after driver sets himself on fire in ED
Middlesex Hospital emergency department closed after man slammed car into its doors, damaging the building
3/2/2018
Calif. children’s hospital mixes technology, nature and playtime
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford was designed to create a nurturing and healing environment
3/2/2018
CDC reports flu activity still elevated
The CDC said that flu activity is likely to remain elevated for several more weeks
3/1/2018
