Nearly half of Americans believe H1N1 outbreak is over
Infection Control Today
The latest poll from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) shows that almost half of Americans believe the H1N1 flu outbreak is over (44 percent), and levels of concern about getting sick with the virus continue to decline. Few (18 percent) think it is "very likely" there will be another widespread outbreak of the H1N1 virus in the U.S. during the next 12 months, although a larger share of the population (43 percent) does say such an outbreak is "somewhat likely." After an initial period of vaccine shortage, 70 percent of adults said there is now enough vaccine in their community for everyone who wants it. The national poll was conducted January 20-24, 2010.More

ASHES announces online infection control course
ASHES
This online infection control course is designed for non-clinical staff in health care facilities. The content of this program covers a wide spectrum of infection control topics—from a brief introduction to the microbiology of major organisms like Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile to transmission and prevention. Mark your calendars to participate in this course starting March 1, 2010. More

ASHES Briefings now available as an iPhone app
ASHES
ASHES understands the need to deliver timely, relevant industry news to its members. In partnering with MultiBriefs to create the ASHES Briefings, the association committed itself to delivering this news to members and other professionals. That partnership has now expanded to provide another convenient avenue to receive this information. The ASHES Briefings is now part of the new MultiBriefs app, now available for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch in the App Store.

Simply search "MultiBriefs" in the App Store and download the app free of charge. Once the MultiBriefs application is downloaded, you can add the ASHES feed from the "Healthcare and Medical" section. News is streamed into your iPhone or iPod Touch each week. And just like the e-mail news brief you’ve become accustomed to, you may share articles with your colleagues via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. You can even bookmark certain articles as favorites to revisit at a later date. As always, feedback is appreciated and is important to the success of the app. Feel free to rate the application in the App Store. More

Antibodies from plants may help fight disease
Infection Control Today
The first head-to-head comparison of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies produced from plants versus the same antibodies produced from mammalian cells has shown that plant-produced antibodies can fight infection equally well. Scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Arizona State University conducted the comparison as a test of the potential for treating disease in developing nations with the significantly less expensive plant-based production technique. The results are reported online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More

Engage in social networking - Bulletin board update
ASHES
In an effort to make the ASHES website login process more user friendly, ASHES and our bulletin board vendor have implemented a single sign-on process. Moving forward, you will only need to login to www.ashes.org to access the members only Bulletin Board. Among the discussion areas: Administration and Finance, Design and Construction, Environmental Sanitation, General, Infection Control, Patient Transport and Throughput, Regulatory Compliance and Accreditation, Sustainability, Textiles and Linen Services, and Waste.More

There are big bucks in better patient flow
Health Leaders Media
Admitting there's a problem is the first step toward finding a solution. When was the last time your facility looked at your patient flow in each department? If it's been a while you are likely missing a serious opportunity not only to improve patient satisfaction but also to save serious bucks that can go directly to your bottom line.More

Hospital employment climbs 0.11 percent in January
AHA News Now
Employment at the nation's hospitals rose 0.11 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted 4,698,700 people, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. That's 5,000 more people than in December and 28,300 more than a year ago. More

Recession, flu increase U.S. health spending in 2009
AHA News Now
National spending for health care is projected to grow 5.7 percent in 2009 to $2.5 trillion, or 17.3 percent of gross domestic product, according to a report released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. More

Millions of H1N1 doses will expire on Feb. 15
Health Leaders Media
All lots of monovalent 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in pre-filled syringes manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur—and not included in two earlier recalls—have a shorter expiration period than indicated on the label, according to a new health alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).More