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Hospital Safety Connection

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Hospital Safety Connection

Issue 51, December 28, 2005

• EPA problems come in smaller packages

  Smaller hospitals have a greater risk of running afoul of the Environmental Protection Agency...

• A dryer is once again a fire culprit

  Yet another nursing home fire can be traced to a dryer problem.

Issue 50, December 21, 2005

• Truck accident causes a small hospital flood

  An accident just outside Manchester (CT) Memorial Hospital temporarily closed one of its two...

• Respiratory device infections lead to warnings

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are...

Issue 49, December 14, 2005

• New JCAHO report tackles surge capacity

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) released a report last...

Issue 48, December 6, 2005

• Associations skeptical of Part D restrictions

  The American Health Care Association (AHCA) recently expressed concern about Medicare's...

• JCAHO resolution: More disaster plan reviews

  Mulling over new reader survey results from Briefings on Hospital Safety, it sure seems that safety...

• Yes, we're talking about 2007 goals already

  If you like to look far ahead, then you might want to comment on a field review of proposed...

• Two die in the latest nursing home fire

  Once again, a nursing home fire has claimed the lives of residents. The latest tragedy occurred on...

Issue 47, November 30, 2005

• Drain cleaner leads to an evacuation

  Don't underestimate the threat of everyday chemicals. A drain cleaner was the culprit behind a...

• Watch out for space heaters in healthcare facilities

  As cold weather arrives in many parts of the country, it seems like a good time to remind folks...

Issue 46, November 16, 2005

• Poll results show an even split on post-Katrina planning

  Readers of Safety Connection have asked us to publish some of the results of our poll on emergency...

• Boston pushes for tougher lab safety

  The city of Boston has proposed new, strict safety regulations for research laboratories working...

Issue 45, November 3, 2005

• Flu vaccinations? Not for many of you

  An online poll conducted by Safety Connection shows that 61% of respondents have not received a flu...

• Surgical fire injuries prompt legal action

  Surgical fire victims continue to push legal claims against allegedly negligent hospitals--and...

Issue 44, November 2, 2005

• Katrina's consequences take a legal turn

  Citing poor cooperation from owner Tenet Healthcare Corporation, the attorney general of Louisiana...

• How hospitals fit into Bush's flu plan

  President Bush released his proposed pandemic influenza plan, asking Congress for $7.1 billion in...

Issue 43, October 26, 2005

• Plans announced to rebuild New Orleans health system

  Tenet Healthcare Corporation has committed to helping rebuild New Orleans' medical community...

• Wilma hits Florida medical sites

  Hurricane Wilma roared through Florida earlier this week, damaging many hospitals' roofs and...

Issue 42, October 19, 2005

• Hospitals face post-hurricane probes

  Regardless of the outcome of allegations of euthanizing patients, the fact that authorities are...

• The JCAHO notes two evacuation techniques

  Blanket drags and bed relocations are two issues to think about in your evacuation plans, according...

Issue 41, October 12, 2005

• The CDC offers help with flu education

  With public attention growing on the threat of a possible influenza pandemic, healthcare facilities...

• Make sure your annual EC evaluations are in order

  Eight out of 10 hospitals surveyed in 2005 fielded questions about their annual evaluations of the...

Issue 40, October 5, 2005

• Hospitals evict mercury-containing items

  Kudos go out to the hospital industry for taking great strides in reducing mercury-containing waste...

• The CDC updates HIV exposure recommendations

  Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidelines for...

Issue 39, September 28, 2005

• Stay ahead of problems by labeling shutoffs

  As you tour your facility looking for safety concerns, consider the need for labeling shutoff...

• The JCAHO will debut new emergency planning session

  If you work in a hospital with 200 beds or more, then alert your emergency management committee...

Issue 38, September 21, 2005

• Hurricane-weary medical centers brace for more

  Hospital workers along parts of the Gulf Coast gritted their teeth as they watched the path of...

• JCAHO officials release report, hint at the future

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has raised attention in...

Issue 37, September 14, 2005

• VA sets up a hurricane blog with survivor stories

  The U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) has set up a Web log--or blog--with postings from healthcare...

• Jolting discoveries put healthcare in the spotlight

  Two very different cases at medical facilities in the New Orleans area had the same unfortunate...

Issue 36, September 8, 2005

• Healthcare professionals among those needed for hurricane relief efforts

  Wanted: Healthcare professionals and relief personnel, including environmental health workers...

• Report: How to reopen former hospitals to treat Hurricane Katrina survivors

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released information on how public health...

Issue 35, August 31, 2005

• Generator mishaps make matters worse

  Hospitals in Hurricane Katrina's path that relied on emergency generator power either faced...

• Hurricane and its aftermath ravage hospitals

  Southeast hospitals suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are dealing with terrible conditions...

Issue 34, August 24, 2005

• Try these three ideas in your disaster drills

  We love to read stories about emergency drills because almost every one of them provides good ideas...

• Article calls into question MRI safety

  So where does your facility fit into this alarming statistic? A physician estimates that near-miss...

Issue 33, August 17, 2005

• The JCAHO will begin limited, random follow-up surveys

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) will be checking on its...

• Vermont hospital faces steep EPA penalties

  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a large fine against the U.S. Veterans...

Issue 32, August 10, 2005

• Mid-Atlantic hospitals may be in OSHA's sights

  Our friends at the Hospital Fire Marshals' Association alerted their members this week that the...

• The NFPA gives a thumbs up for surgical preps

  The National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Standards Council voted on July 29 to amend NFPA...

Issue 31, August 3, 2005

• The JCAHO warns about another imposter surveyor ruse

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) received another report...

• NIOSH: Transcriptionists face excessive noise risks

  Medical transcriptionists run the risk of excessive noise exposure when they use dictation...

Issue 30, July 27, 2005

• Washington Post: CMS validates 2% of accredited hospitals

  Buried in a series about the Medicare program that The Washington Post published this week was an...

• EC.4.10 garners high attention from surveyors

  Our ongoing poll on the environment of care (EC) portion of hospital surveys indicates that...

Issue 29, July 20, 2005

• Infant allegedly kidnapped by father, then found

  A rare infant abduction occurred on July 15 at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, NC.

• Changes are coming to the Statement of Conditions

  Here's a new phrase that you'll hear a lot about soon from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of...

Issue 28, July 14, 2005

• Canopy bed risks patient safety, FDA says

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that hospitals, nursing homes, and other...

• Roller latch countdown = eight months

  We spent some of this week at the American Society for Healthcare Engineering's annual conference...

Issue 27, July 6, 2005

• July 1 marked new JCAHO requirements

  July 1 is historically an important mid-year date for new Joint Commission on Accreditation of...

• MA may consider healthcare violence law

  A Massachusetts lawmaker has requested his colleagues file legislation to further protect...

Issue 26, June 29, 2005

• Hospital scuffle in FL prompts Taser use

  A 13-year-old girl who allegedly kicked and scratched two nurses and a sheriff's deputy during a...

• The JCAHO offers an online resource on patient safety goals

  If you're interested in getting a head start on the 2006 National Patient Safety Goals, the Joint...

Issue 25, June 22, 2005

• Study pegs healthcare worker death rate on the job

  Researchers estimate that the annual death rate for healthcare workers from occupational infections...

• The JCAHO proposes standards on volunteer clinicians

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has opened a field review...

Issue 24, June 15, 2005

• FBI retracts wording about hospital threat

  Those of you following the alleged terrorism probe in Lodi, CA-where the FBI charged a father and...

• New 2006 Life Safety Code® goes through

  We were out in beautiful Las Vegas last week for the National Fire Protection Association's annual...

Issue 23, June 3, 2005

• A perfect SOC may be a bad sign to surveyors

  One mistake you don't want to make during a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare...

• Abandoned package forces patient relocations

  When staff at St. Clare's Hospital in Dover, NJ, found a potentially dangerous-looking package...

Issue 22, June 1, 2005

• Surgical fire Patient Safety Goal again goes MIA

  In the healthcare world, the unveiling of Watergate's "Deep Throat" was quickly overshadowed by the...

Issue 21, May 25, 2005

• Anthrax scares reiterate hospital preparation needs

  Two hospitals locked down their emergency rooms on May 19 after people walked in with concerns that...

• Killer nurse gives authorities some advice

  Remember Charles Cullen, the former nurse who over the years murdered at least 24 patients in...

• Grill fire causes $10K in damage

  There were luckily no injuries following a grease fire on May 19 at St. Cloud (MN) Hospital. The...

Issue 20, May 18, 2005

• Healthcare facilities can weigh in on EC.4.20

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has opened up environment of care...

• Doctor allegedly assaulted in an elevator

  A scary incident at Bridgeport (CT) Hospital is a good warning for all medical centers to...

Issue 19, May 11, 2005

• OSHA proposes fines in tularemia exposure

  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $8,100 in fines against...

• Life safety surveyors pore over EC.5.40

  If your facility doesn't keep up well with inspection and testing requirements under environment of...

Issue 18, May 4, 2005

• Proposed strike could impede clean laundry

  Short of a last-minute settlement, a strike set for today by workers of Angelica Textile Services...

• Homeland security bulletin discusses imposter surveyors

  Last week, the American Hospital Association posted a bulletin from the U.S. Department of Homeland...

Issue 17, April 27, 2005

• Hospital evacuates after an oxygen tank leak

  A liquid oxygen tank leak forced a military hospital in Nebraska to evacuate about 500 employees...

• NYC hospital confirms Legionnaire's death

  An autopsy concluded this week that a patient died from Legionnaires' disease while receiving...

Issue 16, April 20, 2005

• Hospitals told to monitor lab workers' health

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wants hospitals to keep tabs on the health of...

• Our new online poll tracks life safety concerns

  As many of you are aware, life safety compliance is a big priority these days with the Joint...

Issue 12, March 24, 2005

• Man stabs nurse outside employee bathroom

  Police are still searching for a man who stabbed an emergency room nurse at Boston Medical Center...

• FDA seizes hospital beds that trap, kill patients

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized this week enclosed hospital beds made by Vail...

Issue 11, March 29, 2005

• RI hospital handles bomb threat hoax

  A bomb threat called into South County (RI) Hospital last week required the help of the local...

• Man starts fire at assisted living facility

  An elderly man faced arson charges last week, after allegedly starting a trash fire in a Salt Lake...

Issue 10, March 10, 2005

• State investigating hospital suicide

  The state of Wisconsin is investigating last week’s suicide of a mental patient at Waukesha...

• Safety quizzes highlight of hospital’s week

  Edward Hospital in Naperville, IL, got creative with safety drills this week as part of National...

Issue 9, March 3, 2005

• Hospital fined $45,000 for safety violations

  The Washington state Department of Labor fined Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia $45,000...

• Chemical spill sends service worker to hospital

  A University of Illinois worker went to the hospital last week after a chemical spill in the...

Issue 8, February 24, 2005

• Hospital fire forces 40 patients to evacuate

  A two-alarm fire yesterday forced 40 patients to evacuate from El Camino Hospital in San Jose, CA...

• Chemical spill evacuates VA hospital

  A hazardous chemical spill at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Manchester, NH, last...

Issue 7, February 17, 2005

• Hospital security increases after visitor assaulted

  Jackson-Madison County (TN) General Hospital officials stepped up security last week after a...

• Class teaches hospital employees to manage chemical spills

  Columbus (NE) Community Hospital sent employees to college last week to learn about dealing with...

Issue 6, February 10, 2005

• Parking lot thief on the prowl at Ohio hospital

  A thief slashed a patient’s hand last week while walking to his car at St. Vincent Mercy...

• New mom breaches infant security system

  A new mother beat a Salt Lake City hospital’s high-tech security system last week when she...

Issue 5, February 3, 2005

• Los Angeles hospital loses accreditation

  Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles lost it's accreditation this week after...

Issue 3, January 25, 2005

• Broken oxygen valve raises fire concerns

  A broken oxygen valve closed not only a hospital emergency room but nearby buildings in Redwood...

• Vermont State Hospital loses CMS certification

  The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) snatched Vermont State Hospital's certification...

• Fire breaks out in hospital operating room

  An electrical fire broke out this week in an operating room at Hartford (CT) Hospital, channel NBC...

Issue 2, January 13, 2005

• Domestic dispute ends in fatal hospital shooting

  Rush Foundation Hospital officials are evaluating security after a man was shot and killed this...

• Surveyors take intensive safety training

  A variety of environment of care hot spots came up during last week's surveyor training held at the...

Issue 1, January 13, 2005

• Utah hospital to issue visitor badges

  Intermountain Health Care (IHC) hospitals in Utah will soon issue special access badges to...

• VA hospital cited for uncleanliness and fatal infections

  The death of a patient at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver in May has been linked to a...

Issue 51, January 13, 2005

• Christmas morning fire tests nursing home response

  A fire in the heating unit of a resident’s room at a Quakertown, PA, nursing home last week...

• Dust sets off hospital fire alarm

  A false fire alarm at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen, SD, reportedly came from dust...