New Pediatric Infection Prevention Guidelines for Residential Facilities
With the evolving changes in the delivery of healthcare to children worldwide, which frequently include long-distance travel and lodging for specialized medical treatments, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities to release the first-ever infection prevention and control guidelines for “home away from home” pediatric residential facilities to help prevent the spread of infectious pathogens among vulnerable pediatric populations. The new guidelines were published in the October issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of SHEA.
Pace University’s Lienhard School of Nursing Awarded Scholarships through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Pace University’s Lienhard School of Nursing in the College of Health Professions has been selected for the third time as a grant recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program (NCIN).
Clorox Healthcare Products Now EPA-Registered to Kill Infection-Causing Pathogens on Soft Surfaces
In the fight against healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), hard surface disinfection is not enough. Dangerous pathogens can lurk on all types of surfaces in healthcare environments, including soft surfaces such as privacy curtains. Recent findings show that 92 percent of hospital privacy curtains are contaminated one week after laundering,[3] yet 37 percent of facilities report that they only launder privacy curtains when they are visibly soiled.[4] If left unattended, contaminated soft surfaces can undermine a healthcare facility’s infection control protocols and pose infection risks for patients, staff, and visitors.
Lucian and the Librarian
At this year’s Quality Colloquium, multidisciplinary approaches to safety and quality improvement were discussed in many sessions, with benefits cited in the context of leadership, education, scholarship, as well as care delivery.
Reality Check: The Beryl Institute Revisits the State of the Patient Experience
The Beryl Institute has published a major study of work being done in U.S. hospitals to improve the patient experience. Beryl performed a similar study in 2011, and compares the results from the earlier study to this year’s survey in The State of Patient Experience in American Hospitals 2013: Positive Trends and Opportunities for the Future.
unSUMMIT Discontinues Conferences to Focus on eLearning for BCMA Education
Jamie Kelly and Mark Neuenschwander have announced the discontinuation of the unSUMMIT for Bedside Barcoding. In a letter to interested colleagues, they explain that after eight years of holding annual conferences, they will now focus on providing “affordable, year-around online education with the same high-quality exchange of peer-to-peer experience for which our unSUMMIT meetings have been known.”
HHS Seeks Feedback for Draft of National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention
Adverse drug events are the largest contributor to hospital-related complications and account for more than 3.5 million physician office visits each year. As a result of increased attention to reduce and prevent the dangers associated with adverse drug events, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has developed the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention.
Trinitas Regional Medical Center Enhances Staff Safety with Visibility Staff Assist
Trinitas Regional Medical Center, a full-service healthcare facility serving Central New Jersey, is taking a novel approach to protecting its staff from combative patients, utilizing a Real-time Locating System (RTLS) from Versus Technology, Inc.
Atlantic General Hospital Boosts Patient Safety with Expanded Use of Capnography
Atlantic General Hospital recently strengthened patient safety measures by expanding its use of capnography to monitor patients using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) to regulate their pain after surgery.
Accountability of Care is the Center of Healthy Reform
Healthcare reform is taking center stage as the industry opens its eyes to a myriad of factors that are re-defining the healthcare landscape. There is an increased focus on patient-centric services and satisfaction that translate beyond the delivery of quality care to also enable the provision of affordable and timely care to achieve better health outcomes. The entire industry is undergoing a transformation triggered by the need to establish accountable care practices to help overcome specific issues that impede the industry’s improvement.