ASHES Offers Practice Guidance on Environmental Cleaning
from Infection Control Today
 The American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES) of the American Hospital Association has developed two new products: “Practice Guidance for Healthcare Environmental Cleaning” and “From Top to Bottom: The Environmental Services Series,” to provide recommended practice guidance for cleaning and disinfecting protocols in healthcare facilities.
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California Enacts Infection Testing, Reporting Requirements for Hospitals
from AHA News Now
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation requiring hospitals to test certain patients for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus within 24 hours of admission. The bill (S.B. 1058) also requires hospitals to increase their infection control efforts and report bloodstream infection rates for health care-associated MRSA, clostridium difficile and Vancomycin-resistant enterococcal to the state’s public health department, which will post them online beginning in 2011.
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C. Difficile Vaccination ‘May be Ready in Three Years’
from Telegraph
A vaccination that could beat superbug C. difficile is to be tested on patients. Next month, 600 men and women will be given the jab. Should the test prove successful, the vaccine could be available on the market within three years and be used to treat severely ill patients, or for a mass vaccination of pensioners. Previous trials have shown the vaccine to be safe, causing few side effects other than the occasional headache or red arm. A U.S. trial resulted in a rapid clear-up of recurrent infections. More
Introducing the Green Hospital Room
from Globe & Mail
It's being touted as the first full-scale concept room of its kind, and one that its creators hope will offer those in the health-care field insight into how to inject a dose of green into a patient's space. The Green Patient Room is the brainchild of U.S. architectural practice Anshen and Allen, which wanted to create a space that would have a minimum of impact on the natural environment while fulfilling the patient's need for a safe and comfortable sanctuary.
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CMS Issues Disaster Waiver for Louisiana, Texas Hospitals
from AHA News Now
Hospitals devastated by the recent hurricanes in Louisiana and Texas will be exempt from submitting certain inpatient quality data to receive a full Medicare payment update, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The waiver applies to clinical process measures for second-quarter 2008 and HCAHPS data for third-quarter 2008 for all hospitals in counties designated as directly affected by the storms. More
Becoming a Smart Hospital
from Medical Construction & Design
The convergence of information technology systems in healthcare building is causing
us to look at more effective integration of technologies. Facing increased competition, tighter spaces, staff retention and reduced reimbursement, today’s hospitals are looking at strategic ways to use technology to manage their systems.
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11 Steps For Preventing Superbug MRSA Infections in MRI
from Medical News Today
Peter Rothschild, M.D., Radiologist and MRI expert with input of infection control experts from the Joint Commission, has released an 11 step checklist for use in preventing Superbug infections in MRI. Recently published on AuntMinnie.com, in the ground braking paper titled "Preventing Infection in MRI: Best Practices for Infection Control in and Around MRI Suites." This article expands on the issue that MRIs are often not being properly cleaned, thus leading to concern over Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) spread during radiological scans, in particular MRI.
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Take Care to Prevent Falls in Hospital, at Home
from Miramichi Leader
"The Miramichi Regional Hospital in works hard to keep patients safe while in hospital by trying to prevent falls," says Doreen Legere, manager of rehabilitation services for the Miramichi Regional Hospital in Canada. She says there are many things you can do while at home or in hospital to decrease your risk of falls.Wear supportive footwear with nonskid soles indoors and outdoors. Although those cozy knit slippers may feel nice on your feet, they greatly increase your chance of a slip or fall. While in hospital, ask for staff assistance in getting up from your bed or chair whenever you need to. There is no inconvenient time of the day or night, and far better to get a little help than to find yourself on the floor.
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Reduce bed turnover time
 Learn how Premise helped a 1,000 bed hospital reduce its bed turnover time from eight hours to 30 minutes, while cutting related phone calls from 12 to just one. More |
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