Hospital Employees Are Less Healthy and Accrue Higher Healthcare Costs than General Workforce
Sept. 12, 2001—Healthcare spending is 10 percent higher for hospital employees than it is for the general employee population, according to a study released today by the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters.
White House Proclaims National Health Information Technology Week, Sept. 11–16, 2011
Washington DC, Sept. 12, 2011—President Obama has declared the week of Sept. 11-16, 2011, National Health Information Technology Week, and the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for health IT has recently added new online resources for patients and providers.
Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI) First to Create and Launch Statewide Direct Adoption Program
Providence, Rhode Island, September, 8, 2011—The Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality, safety and value of healthcare in Rhode Island, announced the launch of its statewide Direct Adoption Program.
All Systems Becomes Approved Voalté Reseller
Sarasota, Florida, September 7, 2011—Voalté, a leader in clinical communications technology, today announced a new reseller partnership with All Systems, based in Kansas City, Kan. This partnership allows All Systems to provide the Voalté One smart phone solution to hospitals in Kansas and Missouri.
Paper on Automation in Surgery Wins 2011 Human Factors Prize for Excellence in HF/E Research
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society congratulates Dietrich Manzey, Maria Luz, Stefan Mueller, Andreas Dietz, Juergen Meixensberger, and Gero Strauss on receiving the 2011 Human Factors Prize for their article, “Automation in Surgery: The Impact of Navigated-Control Assistance on Performance, Workload, Situation Awareness, and Acquisition of Surgical Skills.”
AED Failures Connected to Deaths from Cardiac Arrest
Aug. 30, 2011—A study published online last week in Annals of Emergency Medicine reports that more than 1,000 cardiac arrest deaths over 15 years were connected to the failure of automated external defibrillators (AEDs); battery failure accounted for almost one-quarter of the failures.
RWJF Solicits Research Proposals to Advance Nursing Care, Practice, and Education
Aug. 30, 2011—The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is soliciting research proposals that address nursing practice, care, and education for consideration by RWJF and its partners in a multi-funder initiative. The goal of the initiative is to identify, generate, synthesize and disseminate evidence essential to implementing the recommendations outlined in the Institute of Medicine’s report, “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” The RWJF Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative is managing the initiative for RWJF and is accepting proposals until January 3, 2012.
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.
Baxter to Acquire to Privately Held Baxa Corporation
Deerfield, IL, Aug. 25, 2011—Baxter International Inc. announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Baxa Corporation, a privately held company based in Englewood, Colo. Baxa develops pharmacy technology that enhances the efficiency and safety of oral and IV dose preparation and delivery. The addition of Baxa’s product lines will complement Baxter’s portfolio of nutrition products and drug delivery systems and supports patient safety.
Joint Commission Issues Alert: Dangers of Diagnostic Radiation
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.