PSQH: The Podcast Episode 26 – How Healthcare Facility Design Can Improve Patient Safety
On episode 26 of PSQH: The Podcast, Dr. Tom Schwieterman, vice president of clinical affairs and chief medical officer of Midmark, talks about how healthcare facility design can help improve patient safety.
Being Creative, and the Importance of ‘Thinking Inside the Box’
Electrical and HVAC updates are of particular importance to support new technology, which typically requires additional power and generates additional heat. Other important renovations include installing wireless systems and components used for collecting data or interacting with electronic medical records. This article offers insights into the challenges, solutions, and key considerations addressing infrastructure challenges posed by smaller, targeted healthcare projects.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 21 – The Vital Role of Environmental Services in Healthcare
On episode 21 of PSQH: The Podcast, Steve Zimmerman, director of health care services for ServiceMaster Clean, talks about the important role that Environmental Services plays in healthcare facilities. This episode is sponsored by ServiceMaster Clean.
Assess Your EVS Program for Infection Control Problems Before Surveyors Show Up
Earlier this year CMS cited hospitals for not following their own policies and failing to ensure environmental services personnel followed standard procedures for infection control during cleaning, including instances of cross-contamination of surfaces.
Waiting Room Safety: Infection, Furniture, and Power Outlets
Cleaning and keeping a healthcare waiting room safe for patients is a difficult task, says Jennifer Cowel, RN, MHS, a former Joint Commission executive and CEO of Patton Healthcare Consulting. Many elements need to be considered: furniture, electrical outlets, sanitizer dispensers, toys, and high-touch objects. And unlike patient rooms, there’s no turnover time between people where the space can be cleaned or checked.
Survey: Emergency Preparedness Training Needed for Nurses
In a survey of nearly 200 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, respondents scored highest when asked about triage and basic first aid competence—43% provided a positive response, meaning they were familiar or very familiar with the topic.
Been Through a Disaster? There is Help for Recovery
If you are affiliated with a state, tribal, territorial or local government operation, or are a non-profit providing critical healthcare services in a declared disaster area, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a public assistance program ready to help.
FGI Seeks Public Comment on 2022 Update to Guidelines for Design and Construction
The guidelines got their start more than 70 years ago as a federal-private venture to set building standards for the nation’s hospitals being built across the continent under the post-World War II Hill-Burton program. Publishing of the guidelines is now administered under the American Society for Healthcare Engineering.
Safety First: Five Steps to Better Life Safety and Emergency Preparedness
In a series of unannounced compliance audits, the Office of Inspector General found that among 20 surveyed nursing homes, all had severe deficiencies. These included 205 issues related to life safety and 219 issues related to emergency preparedness. In an August 2019 report, the department cited inadequate management and lack of standardized training as the main causes for noncompliance.
Massachusetts Weighs Hospital Wayfinding Regulation
The bills currently working their way through the Massachusetts legislature would require the state Department of Public Health to set regulations that require all Massachusetts hospitals to meet certain criteria to ensure safe patient access at all times to an emergency room or department. These measures would include indoor and outdoor signage, indoor and outdoor lighting, and best-practice wayfinding.