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Issue 9, September 6, 2020

• Money woes and distance: Patient stressors during the COVID-19 era

  Many factors are taking a toll on patients’ physical, mental, and emotional...

• The two foundational facts of lab safety

  Things have changed drastically over the past several months as the COVID-19 pandemic continues...

Issue 8, August 3, 2020 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Service animals in the clinic

  While fleas, ticks, mites, and more could undermine a facility’s pest and infection control...

• Three signs nobody is paying attention to safety

  The safety officer walked into the satellite laboratory and saw an employee scrolling through...

• Study: Stroke survival rates drop precipitously in remote areas

  The study found that the risk of death was 21% higher for patients hospitalized in small towns

• Q&A: Centura Health on telehealth expansion

  The coronavirus pandemic and social distancing requirements prompted many healthcare organizations...

• Service animals: An ADA Q&A

  These questions and answers were adopted from a Q&A published by the Disability Rights Section...

• 20H Update: August updates cover bloodborne pathogens

  The latest manual updates cover information on bloodborne pathogens in Tab 5 of the medical and...

Issue 7, July 6, 2020 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Network seeks to reduce drug diversion, increase reporting rate

  An Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that focuses on drug diversion prevention has launched an...

• Lab safety: A return to "normal"

  As the pandemic starts to wind down and we begin a return to “normal” practices...

• Study: Negligible infection risk from reused pacemakers, ICDs

  Researchers argue case to increase recycling of cardiac devices

• Over-the-top risky:Overuse of ADC overrides, removal of drugs without an order, and use of non-profiled cabinets

  ISMP continues to hear about limitations, unsafe practices, and pitfalls associated with ADC use...

Issue 6, June 1, 2020 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Worker wellness: Stress reduction and mental health

  As usual, healthcare workers are being asked to take on some of the hardest work during the...

• COVID-19 and the pyramid: Protecting laboratorians

  In 1950, the United States National Safety Council began describing what became known as the...

• Waiting room safety: Infection, furniture, and power outlets

  Cleaning and keeping a healthcare waiting room safe for patients is a difficult task. Many...

• University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics policy: Cleaning of toys

  Use this policy, shared courtesy of Lynda Bailey, RN, BSN, CSHA, accreditation specialist for...

• Top 10 patient safety concerns for 2020

  While all the headlines have been (justifiably) about the 2019 novel coronavirus, healthcare...

Issue 5, May 4, 2020 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Hand hygiene: Just do it

  In 2018, The Joint Commission (TJC) announced it would issue a Requirement for Improvement if it...

• My PPE is backordered--now what? COVID-19 alternate safe practices

  Some of the items that have become very hard to get include personal protective equipment (PPE...

• Worker wellness: Severe summer weather

  Of course, one of the downsides of summer in many parts of the country is the increased risk of...

• Report: Follow protocols to help fight opioid addictions

  A new report from medical liability insurer Coverys takes a close look at the growing epidemic of...

• 20E Update: May updates cover infection prevention

  The latest manual updates cover information on infection pre-vention and control in Tab 6 of the...

Issue 4, April 6, 2020 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Coronavirus and preparing for the worst

  The virus has since spread to dozens of countries, with nearly 80,000 cases worldwide according to...

• The psychiatry of lab safety: Denial, fear, and stigma

  Why isn’t the staff as concerned about all the other pathogens they work with every day? Why...

• Talking to patients about cannabis

  Do providers need to know if their patients use cannabis? Yes. Do patients always tell their...

• Why you need to know if a patient uses cannabis

  As a provider, you need to know how to have an open and honest discussion with patients about their...

Issue 3, March 2, 2020 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Five myths about spring safety

  As we enter March, some parts of the U.S. will be feeling their first taste of warm weather...

• Breathing easy: What you need to know about respiratory protection

  In the peak of the flu season, you might see many people wearing masks. Do those masks protect...

• Close the loop on test results

  Closed-loop communication means that every test result is sent, received, and addressed in a timely...

• Soap vs. superbugs

  Bathe patients with chlorhexidine soap to stop drug-resistant infections

• Creating a culture that puts an end to sexual harassment in healthcare

  When Medscape surveyed 6,200 physicians and clinicians in 2018 about sexual harassment incidents...

• Five strategies to improve opioid use disorder care

  In 2016, the rate of opioid-related inpatient stays in hospitals increased to about 300 per 100,000...

Issue 2, February 3, 2020 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Creating a culture of safety

  The better alternative for keeping a medical clinic safe is to create an environment where everyone...

• The SPILLED drill

  Most laboratory spills can be managed using a standardized step-wise process known as the SPILLED...

• Review your antibiotic stewardship program against latest CoP revisions

  Hospital antibiotic stewardship programs will become a Condition of Participation (CoP) requirement...

• Suicide NPSG now applies to critical access hospitals

  Critical access hospitals (CAH) accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC) will be expected to...

• Reviewing the new NPSG for critical access hospitals

  Reviewing the importance of NPSG.15.01.01, element of performance (EP) 1, which has two separate...

Issue 1, January 6, 2020 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Worker wellness: Safe lifting practices

  According to OSHA, nursing assistants had some of the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders of...

• A perspective on lab safety

  "In conversations with long-term lab safety professionals, I often hear about their constant...

• Zero harm study finds many struggling to achieve goal

  While most medical professionals are familiar with the goal of achieving zero harm in healthcare...

• Q&A: Zero harm study

  Anne Marie Benedicto, MPP, MPH, is vice president of The Joint Commission Center for Transforming...