A key component of medical environments is a sink. In healthcare facilities, they are present in exam rooms and laboratories and are necessary for hand hygiene compliance. Despite being a key measure in reducing infections, they can be a breeding ground for dangerous microorganisms.
Hospitals participating in value-based purchasing and accountable care programs face a new level of complexity in how patients are attributed—and reattributed—over time. These shifts can alter quality scores, disrupt performance tracking, and even jeopardize reimbursement or survey readiness.
How do we as safety and facilities professionals get better about asking for, and accepting, assistance from above? I’ve listened to many frustrated individuals ask about leveraging compliance in the field when things are not quite perfect, and I (almost) invariably ask them back the question:...
Hospitals navigating accreditation and reimbursement challenges often overlook two seemingly unrelated issues: ISO 9001 certification and durable medical equipment (DME) product compliance.
Protective equipment in the lab is a frontline defense, in addition to being necessary for compliance. Yet experts warn that too many healthcare organizations assume their protective gear meets regulatory expectations without verifying its performance.
In this guest column, Dan Scungio, MT(ASCP), SLS, laboratory safety officer for multihospital system Sentara Healthcare in Virginia, and otherwise known as “Dan, the Lab Safety Man,” discusses the important issues that affect your job every day. Today he talks about the importance of...
Hospital security leaders face an enormous task: maintaining a safe, compliant, and open environment for patients, staff, and visitors—often with limited resources and increasing risk. That’s why building a smarter security program means learning from those who’ve done it at scale and in high-...
