Nurses’ New Uniforms Would Help Fight MRSA Infections
from Daily Post
 Nurses across the National Health Service in Wales could soon wear the same style of uniforms to help patients recognise who is in charge on hospital wards.Welsh health minister Edwina Hart is expected to announce the proposal this week after a report from nursing leaders found confusion among patients over the range of uniforms used by health staff. More
Hospitals Can Learn from CSI Sleuthing Methods
from Infection Control Today Magazine
Hospitals can “get their glow on” further by considering the awareness of germs created by researchers who are using a fluorescent indicator to illustrate the lack of thorough environmental cleaning in hospitals. A fluorescent indicator material may be applied on the surface and can be measured through exposure to ultraviolet light. Researchers in Boston used an invisible fluorescent marker to target standardized high-touch surfaces in hospital rooms; the marker was formulated to be inconspicuous yet readily removed by housekeeping products. More
Used Needles, Syringes Can Now Be Thrown Away at CVS
from The Eagle-Tribune
The North Andover Board of Health is pairing up with a newly reopened CVS to make throwing out used needles safer and more convenient. North Andover was one of 31 communities in Massachusetts that received a disposal kiosk from the Massachusetts Department of Health valued around $1,800. The kiosks are one way the state is trying to promote safe disposal of needles, syringes and lancets, collectively known as sharps. More
Scrubs Should Be Freshly Scrubbed
from Chicago Tribune
The next time you see a health-care worker wearing scrubs in public, think twice. Sure, they look clean and authoritative, but you might wonder if there's a health risk to wandering around town wearing this supposedly sterile garb. And what about tools of the trade like stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and thermometers that are passed from patient to patient? Can these pose a health threat to the public as well as patients? More
‘C. diff Now a Regular Occurrence’
from BBC
An independent review is to be carried out into why it took so long for the outbreak to be identified, and whether standards at the hospital in Dunbartonshire were up to scratch. The outbreak first came to light in May when Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board revealed there were three cases of the virulent "027" strain at the Vale of Leven. More
Joint Commission Releases 2009 Patient Safety Goals
from The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission last week announced the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals and related requirements for accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals. The National Patient Safety Goals promote specific improvements in patient safety by providing health care organizations with proven solutions to persistent patient safety problems. These Goals apply to the more than 15,000 Joint Commission-accredited and -certified health care organizations and programs.
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AHA Urges CMS to Scale Back Proposed SNF Payment Cuts
from AHA News Now
The AHA last week urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to scale back the payment cuts in its fiscal year 2009 proposed rule for the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system. CMS has said the cuts are necessary to adjust for greater-than-expected utilization of the nine payment categories that were added to the PPS in 2006. More
Brochure for Healthcare Environmental Services Conference Now Available
from ASHES
The brochure for the 23rd ASHES Annual Conference and Marketplace is now available online. The document includes details about sessions, speakers, travel information, and more. The ASHES Conference will take place in San Antonio, Texas, Sept. 7-11, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Visit the ASHES Conference website to preview the brochure and register to attend or exhibit.
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