The Joint Commission Awards First Advanced Certifications for Palliative Care
AORN Releases Implementation Guide for Prevention of RSIs
Denver—The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has published an Implementation Guide for the Recommended practices for prevention of retained surgical items (RSIs).
Cardinal Health Awarded AORN Seal of Recognition for Education Quality
Denver, Colorado—The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has awarded the AORN Seal of Recognition™ to education materials developed by Cardinal Health.
Joint Commission Issues Alert on Healthcare Worker Fatigue
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.”
CMS Taps Acumentra Health for Project to Boost Adult Immunization Reporting
CDC Launches Effort to Protect Cancer Patients from Infections
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.
FDA Launches Initiative to Prevent Surgical Fires
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.
AHRQ Releases Guide to Reducing Unintended Consequences of EHRs
Sept. 21, 2011—The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released the Guide to Reducing Unintended Consequences of Electronic Health Records (EHRs).
FDA Public Workshop on MRI Safety
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.
ACR Responds to TJC Sentinel Alert
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.