I will admit that I’ve been sitting on this one for a couple of months as I have no interest in sensationalizing any acts of violence, even inadvertently. But it also seems like not too much time passes before firearm violence (yet again) makes front page news, so I guess this topic may be more...
I’ve had an interesting couple of weeks scrambling up and down ladders while engaged in a focused above-the-ceiling life safety compliance assessment. The experience gave me time to think about one of the basic tenets (at least, for me) of managing the physical environment, which I will...
This week brings us something of a mixed bag, but I think the two articles speak to the heart of how our management of the healthcare physical environment informs everything that goes on around and in it. I have consistently maintained (small pun intended) that pretty much everything in...
For those of you keeping tabs on the regulatory landscape, you might already know that the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has initiated a new standard—ST108—that defines levels of water quality suitable for various stages of medical device processing, with the...
If one were to ponder the most complicated undertakings in the world of healthcare, I believe that effective management of mental/behavioral health would be very close to the top of that list. I can say from personal experience that some amazing improvements have been made over the last 20-30...
Recently, I’ve seen some survey activity that prompts me to chat a little bit about essential electrical systems (EES) and to provide you with a source of information in that regard. The survey findings have related to the connection of inappropriate equipment to a branch of the EES or an...
My good friend and esteemed colleague, Robert Vance III, has been working in the hospital environment for a fair number of years now. In working with Bob at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California, what has impressed me most is his thoughtful and measured approach to everything he...
One of the truisms of managing healthcare in current climes and times is the importance of creating environments that can withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (and we’ve certainly had more than our share of those). In looking back at the last five or so years, it is very clear...
In the past, we’ve talked about the various advocacy groups working on behalf of healthcare facilities and safety professionals, and certainly, the most prominent among those groups are the good folks at the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE). I don’t know how closely you follow...
As with any risk management undertaking, there is always the potential for a risk assessment, but in areas that are not “directly” under your control, you probably want to have the assessment in place before you start any new process, including adding new contractors to the mix.