The Joint Commission (TJC) has released Sentinel Event Alert 48, “Health Care Worker Fatigue and Patient Safety.” Acknowledging that “many factors contribute to fatigue, including but not limited to insufficient staffing and excessive workloads,” TJC states that “the purpose of this Sentinel Event Alert is to address the effects and risks of an extended work day and of cumulative days of extended work hours.”

As a special project for Medicare, Acumentra Health will assist Oregon physician practices in electronically reporting adult immunization data to Oregon’s statewide immunization registry, the ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

Oct. 25, 2011—CDC’s Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program is a comprehensive initiative focusing on providing information, action steps, and tools for patients, their families, and their health care providers to reduce the risk of life-threatening infections during chemotherapy treatment in outpatient oncology settings.

Washington, D.C., October 13, 2011—Surgical fires are preventable medical errors. To reduce the risk of fires, many healthcare organizations have developed tools, implemented strategies, and conducted education and outreach efforts. Yet there is more that can be done.

Sept. 21, 2011—The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released the Guide to Reducing Unintended Consequences of Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

Sept. 20, 2011—The Food and Drug Administration will host a free public workshop Oct. 25 & 26 on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) safety. The purpose of the workshop is to discuss factors affecting the safe use of MRI and approaches to risk mitigation. There is no fee to register for the workshop and registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wish to attend this Workshop, you must register by 5 pm EDT on October 4, 2011.

Aug. 29, 2011—The American College of Radiology (ACR) has issued a statement in response to a Sentinel Event Alert issued by The Joint Commission (TJC) on the “Radiation Risks of Diagnostic Imaging.” The ACR agrees in general that “care should be taken” but wishes to clarify inaccuracies it finds in the Sentinel Alert.

Oakbrook Terrace, IL, Aug. 24, 2011—While diagnostic radiation tests can help save lives, a new Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert warns that health care organizations must seek new ways to reduce exposure to repeated doses of harmful radiation from these diagnostic procedures. The Alert urges greater attention to the risk of long-term damage and cumulative harm that can occur if a patient is given repeated doses of diagnostic radiation.

Orlando, Florida, August 8, 2011 — Armed with an ever-growing body of research suggesting that textiles — specifically, medical uniforms — play a key role in the transmission of disease in healthcare settings, Vestagen Technical Textiles participated in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  stakeholder meetings to examine exposure to infectious diseases in health care workplaces.

Washington, DC, July 29, 2011—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should gather the information needed to develop a new regulatory framework to replace the 35-year-old 510(k) clearance process for medical devices, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.