Hospitals Key to Nation's Economic Health, House Members Tell Obama
from AHA News Now
 In a letter, 130 members of the House of Representatives urged President-elect Obama to "keep in mind the necessity of maintaining the economic health of our nation's hospitals as a very real and viable part of the solution" to the current economic crisis. While hospitals are "a critical part of our nation's economy as the largest private sector source of jobs," the crisis in the credit markets coupled with other payment pressures "is leading to a decline in hospitals' financial health at a time when demand for health care services in growing," the letter states.
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MRSA Head and Neck Infections Increase Among Children
from Infection Control Today
Rates of antibiotic-resistant head and neck infections increased in pediatric patients nationwide between 2001 and 2006, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surger. Before the 1980s, infections with strains of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus resistant to the antibiotic methicillin (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA) were most often acquired in the hospital, according to background information in the article. However, during the past decade, community-acquired MRSA infections have become more common in prisons, nursing homes and among chronically ill patients and in individuals without established risk factors. “Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen commonly seen in many infections involving the head and neck,” the authors write. “In recent years, there have been increasing reports of community-acquired MRSA infections in children.” More
Cleaning Products Up Nurses' Asthma Risk
from The Washington Post
Frequent exposure to hospital cleaning products and disinfectants greatly increases nurses' risk of asthma, according to a U.S. study that included 3,650 Texan health care professionals, including 941 nurses. The researchers found that nurses regularly exposed to cleaning products and disinfectants were 72 percent more likely than other health care colleagues to report being diagnosed with asthma since starting their job, and 57 percent more likely to report symptoms similar to asthma. More
When Linen Inventory Control is Lacking, Try an ‘Extreme Makeover’
from American Laundry News
As operations manager of consultative services for Standard Textile Co. in Cincinnati, Barb Williams has examined her share of healthcare linen systems, both good and bad. And when inventory control is lacking, Williams tells a seminar audience, it’s time to take a cue from a popular TV show and embark on an Extreme Makeover: Linen System Edition. More
C. Difficile Infections Continue To Fall in England
from Medical News Today
C. difficile infections are continuing to fall, the latest quarterly statistics from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) showed. There were 8,947 C. difficile infections in in England between July and September 2008. This represents a 33 percent reduction compared to the same quarter last year and a 35.5 percent reduction compared to the average quarter in 2007/08. The figures show a drop in C. difficile cases across all age groups for July to September 2008. More
Joint Commission Posting Patient-satisfaction, Mortality Data
from Modern Healthcare
The Joint Commission has begun posting the results of patient-satisfaction surveys and 30-day mortality rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia on the organization’s Web site. The site lets users look up information about how patients perceived the care they received at hospitals, based on responses to 10 questions on criteria such as communication, cleanliness, promptness and overall satisfaction. The data are from the CMS’ Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems surveys. More
Enlist Your Staff in the Fight against Pests
from A Special Contribution to Briefings in Healthcare Environmental Services
Now more than ever, your hospital simply can’t afford to have pests. Flies and cockroaches carry disease-causing pathogens like E. Coli and Salmonella that can threaten the safety of your patients and staff. The last thing you need is a potential lawsuit or a failed Joint Commission inspection that leads to unwanted media attention.
Your staff can serve as a crucial weapon in the fight against pests if you make them aware of their role in your facility’s pest management efforts. As budgets tighten during this tough economic climate, you may not have the time or money to invest in expensive third-party training programs. Unfortunately, pests won’t let a slow economy stop them as they seek food, water and shelter in your health care environment. By following these three easy-to-implement tips, you can encourage staff cooperation with your facility’s pest management program and keep your budget in check.
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Hygiene Basics May Beat MRSA
from Guardian.co.uk
An expert report has looked at how hospitals could stop the spread of MRSA. It says that getting hospital staff and visitors to wash their hands is the best way of preventing infections. But if the hospital environment stays contaminated with MRSA, people will pick up the bacteria again soon after washing. So hospital cleaning also has a vital part to play.
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