While Alfred, Lord Tennyson opined that “in the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love,” spring, for certain safety professionals (I won’t characterize based on age, but I suspect you know who you are) means lists of what could have (and, often, did) go wrong in the world...
The December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel shocked not only the insurance industry but also hospital systems nationwide. The shooting, which took place in the early-morning hours, highlights a chilling reality: Healthcare executives can be...
Hospitals are constantly grappling with the dangers of drug diversion, as illustrated by a $2 million settlement between Cheshire Medical Center and federal authorities, among many other cases.
I’m not sure if I’ve shared this story before, but, back in April 2013 (April 15 to be exact), I was headed out to the West Coast for work when I heard that some explosive devices had been detonated during the running of the 117th Boston Marathon.
Regular trash is bad enough, but the things that laboratories throw out are dangerous as well as egregious: used needles and sharps, body fluids, caustic chemicals, and items that will burst into flames in the right conditions. Lab staff can be injured by improper disposal of chemical waste, but...
Healthcare providers often find themselves on the receiving end of verbal, emotional, or physical abuse at work. Despite making up only 10% of the workforce, healthcare workers experience 48% of nonfatal injuries due to workplace violence (WPV). While the drivers and causes of violence are...
This story looks at some of the common PPE mistakes or misconceptions laboratories should be striving to eliminate in 2025, as well as how to battle PPE complacency.
As we discussed last month with Julia Finken, RN, BSN, MBA, CPHQ, CLSSMBB, senior vice president of accreditation and regulatory compliance at Barrins & Associates and Patton Healthcare Consulting, many healthcare providers struggle with restraint and seclusion compliance...
One of my friends recently shared a post on LinkedIn from a flight instructor that I think is well worth sharing here (which means you sort of have a homework assignment—but it will be worth it). Historically, leadership is considered something of a top-down undertaking. But the truth (...
The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the FBI have joined forces to address workplace violence in healthcare, blending the FBI’s expertise in behavioral threat assessment with the AHA’s understanding of hospital operations.
