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U.S. Imposes Harsh Limits on Medical Waste Incinerators from Chicago Tribune Medical waste incinerators face more stringent limits on toxic air pollution under a new federal rule hammered out after a decade-long legal battle. Most hospitals stopped burning their waste years ago after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered a dramatic reduction in air pollution from trash burners. But a federal court ruled the agency's standards weren't tough enough for the nation's remaining incinerators, which are significant local sources of mercury, dioxins and cadmium. Under the new rule, which the EPA plans to impose after a 75-day comment period, medical trash burners will have to reduce emissions of these pollutants by at least a factor of 10. The rule should cut air pollution by up to 1.5 million pounds a year, the agency said. More 'Zinc Zipper' Plays Key Role In Hospital-Acquired Infections from Medical News Today Hospital-acquired infections that are resistant to traditional antibiotic treatment have become increasingly common in recent years, confounding health care professionals and killing thousands of Americans. More Moody's Reports Sharp Rise in Hospital Bond Downgrades from AHA News Now Moody's Investors Service today reported a sharp rise in bond rating downgrades for not-for-profit hospitals in fourth-quarter 2008, citing the negative effects of a rapidly weakening economy, restricted access to capital, investment losses and the growing risks associated with variable rate debt. More Infection Prevention: Role Evolves but Resources, Funding Remain Static from Infection Control Today A number of studies that address the performance and viability of infection prevention and control programs agree that not only is the profession evolving, but the demands placed upon them are increasing dramatically, without commensurate increases in resources and funding. Additionally, the field has been relying upon aging recommendations on everything from staffing to preventable infections, which can hamper the profession’s ability to document and assess its value in preventing healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). More Hospital Employment Climbs 0.19 Percent in November from AHA News Now Employment at the nation's hospitals rose 0.19 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted 4,698,100 people, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. That's 9,100 more than in October and 139,300 more than a year ago. Without the seasonal adjustment, which removes the effect of fluctuations due to seasonal events, hospitals employed 4,702,600 people in November, 8,000 more than in October and 140,200 more than a year ago. More Joint Commission Says Hospital Quality Improving from Fierce Healthcare A study from The Joint Commission has concluded that U.S. hospitals have steadily improved the quality of patient care over the past six years. The study, which analyzed National Patient Safety Goal compliance and quality measures on several common treatments and procedures, found some dramatic improvements in the areas it measured. More Hand Sanitizer Cuts MRSA Risk from WebMD Every dab of alcohol hand sanitizer used in British hospitals lowered multidrug-resistant staph (MRSA) infection rates by 1 percent, a U.K. study shows. In-hospital infections -- particularly MRSA -- are a huge and growing problem. As part of the solution, the U.K. National Health Service in 2004 launched a national "clean your hands" campaign among health-care workers. More Characteristics Of Hospitals With Low Rates Of Surgical Site Infections Identified By Study from Medical News Today New research published in the December issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS) suggests that surgical procedures that are shorter in duration and the use of fewer blood transfusions characterize hospitals that have a lower incidence of surgical site infections (SSI). Furthermore, the study concludes that strategies to reduce the length of operations and the number of blood transfusions should complement basic aseptic techniques in the operating room. More   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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