5 qualities of high-quality infection preventionists
Becker's ASC Review
Infection prevention and control is one of numerous issues in the forefront of healthcare, and healthcare organizations have taken on the challenge through a variety of means, including hiring infection preventionists. But what, one may ask, separates the one-star experts from the five-star experts. Karen Mackie, RN, MA, CIC, infection control manager at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson, Md., explains five must-have qualities of top-tier infection preventionists. More

AHE announces brand rollout for the 2012 Conference and Healthcare Marketplace
AHE
One of the highlights for the members of the Association for the Healthcare Environment s the Annual Conference & Healthcare Marketplace where members, suppliers, contractors and other healthcare professionals come together for education, networking and collaboration. The 2012 Conference programming and networking events are being developed to set the stage for an exciting future of continued growth and recognition. Click here for press releaseMore

Cleaning up C-diff, together
HealthLeaders Media
Of the long list of contagious infections quality leaders deal with, Clostridium difficile is perhaps the most troublesome. And as if the original infection wasn't bad enough, many hospitals are starting to see NAP1 and other hyper-virulent strains. But in the face of this increasingly resistant adversary, some organizations are forming interdisciplinary task forces and successfully decreasing C-diff incidence by changing the way staff cleans and administers antibiotics.More

10 things hospitalists should know about infectious diseases
The Hospitalist
Hospitalists routinely care for patients with infections, or symptoms of infections, or suspected infections that might not even be infections at all. Many times, hospitalists have more than one treatment option. So which is the best to use? Is there a better option than the therapy that first comes to mind? What about that new antibiotic out there - is it really worth it?More

Handy solutions: Hygiene compliance monitoring goes high-tech
Health Facilities Management
Facilities turn to electronic surveillance to remind healthcare staff to wash their hands and verify compliance as they push to reduce healthcare-associated infections. With patient care and financial stakes higher than ever, the competition is intensifying among companies that offer or are developing high-tech hand hygiene monitoring systems for use in healthcare facilities.More

Asking the right questions when selecting infection prevention technology
Infection Control Today
Mark Stibich writes, "As the chief scientific officer for Xenex Healthcare Services, I see firsthand the selection process for room disinfection systems at many facilities. As with any hospital purchasing process, multiple individuals are involved. The biggest difficulty is that the people involved may all be asking different questions. Some individuals may get very interested in the different technologies while others will only care about the economics of the purchase. I believe that by taking the group through a question forming exercise, the selection process can be streamlined. Of course, before getting to the question, it is best to understand the problem."More

Where to turn on flooring
Healthcare Design Magazine
With flooring being an important component in the healthcare industry, specifiers are searching for ways to move toward healthier, durable, low-maintenance, cost-effective, and attractive materials that also satisfy the needs of the facility and the outcomes of the end users.More

ES and C-diff: Utilizing competency-based tools for infection prevention
Health Facilities Management
Clostridium difficile (C-difficile) is an equal opportunity pathogen. A 50-year-old man who has struggled with a chronic infection, a 76-year-old woman living in a nursing home, a 17-year-old girl who recently had her tonsils removed and a 37-year-old man admitted to a hospital for a surgical procedure are all examples of those who have been impacted by this challenging organism. Indeed, it is C-difficile's ability to produce disease in persons of most any age that makes C-difficile infection (CDI) such a dangerous foe.More

Quake test could prompt ways to shore up hospitals
Healthcare Purchasing News
What happens when a series of massive earthquakes hits a five-story medical facility with an intensive care unit, operating room and elevator? Structural engineers at the University of California, San Diego, began tests to find out. Over the next two weeks, they will repeatedly rock an 80-foot-high building erected on a giant shake table as part of a $5 million experiment funded by government agencies, foundations and others.More

Live experiment shows that MRSA dies on antimicrobial copper surfaces
Infection Control Today
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has met its match against antimicrobial copper. A live webcast experiment demonstrated that antimicrobial copper effectively kills MRSA within two hours while it readily survives on stainless steel.More