by Paige Minemyer | FierceHealth Apr 27, 2017 1:31pm Hospitals across New Jersey practiced on Wednesday for what would likely be one of the greatest challenges faced by their emergency preparedness teams: a nuclear attack. “Operation Gotham Shield” was designed to simulate the response to the complicated, and likely cascading, impacts of a nuclear attack… Read More »
by Paige Minemyer | FierceHealthcare Jan 9, 2017 11:02am Citing burdens on clinicians that could lead to treatment delays, the Joint Commission said its ban on doctors using text messages to order treatments will stay in place for the time being. The Joint Commission briefly lifted the ban last spring, but then temporarily reinstated it… Read More »
by Evan Sweeney | FierceHealthcare Jan 16, 2017 12:26pm Under HIPAA, healthcare organizations are required to conduct a periodic security risk analysis, but one executive says health systems should do a more comprehensive self-assessment that pulls in a broader scope of data. A HIPAA-mandated risk analysis requires health systems to focus on security mechanisms that… Read More »
By Leslie Small | FierceHealthcare Jan 11, 2017 12:24pm President-elect Donald Trump has selected current Department of Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Health David Shulkin to lead the VA, he announced Wednesday at his first postelection press conference. Shulkin, Trump said, “will do a truly great job” at the agency, which has struggled to bounce back… Read More »
by Paige Minemyer | FierceHealthcare Jan 4, 2017 4:35pm Hospitals are often one of the most significant institutions within their local communities, and with a few strategies, leaders can promote better health equity and care access to hard-to-reach patients. In a post for the NEJM Catalyst blog, Kedar Mate, M.D., chief innovation and education officer… Read More »
Hospital elevator buttons carry more bacteria than toilet surfaces By Katie Sullivan Hospital elevators are home to more bacteria than toilet surfaces–making the high-traffic area a breeding ground for potentially dangerous infections. Canadian researchers at the University of Toronto found that bacteria commonly colonize on elevator buttons, although most pathogens were not clinically relevant, according… Read More »
Patients remain in danger from preventable errors Patients remain in danger from preventable errors Expert testifies that patients no safer than they were 15 years ago July 18, 2014 I By Zack Budryk Share Tools Patients today are no safer from harm caused by preventable errors than they were 15 years ago, a leading healthcare… Read More »
How a team of doctors at one hospital boosted hand washing, cut infections and created a culture of safety How a team of doctors at one hospital boosted hand washing, cut infections and created a culture of safety Dr. Gerald Hickson launched the innovative program at Vanderbilt University Hospital after seeing wife’s post-operation care By… Read More »
New Advice for Vaccines to Stave Off Pneumonia The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that older adults now get two different pneumonia vaccines, versus only a single shot under the old guidelines. WSJ’s Peter Loftus joins Tanya Rivero on Lunch Break to explain the rationale. Photo: Getty People age 65 and older… Read More »