I don’t remember when I first started watching Star Trek, but I loved it from day one and have watched every episode, read the books, built the plastic models of the Enterprise NC-1701, the shuttle craft, the Klingon bird of pray and hung them from my bedroom ceiling. I also had a phaser, and learned…
ICE STORM TESTS KY HOSPITALS’ METTLE by John Commins, HealthLeaders Media, March 11, 2009 If you weren’t living in Kentucky in the last week of January, the ice storm that crippled the Bluegrass State wasn’t much more than a lead item on CNN – something regrettable that happened to somebody else. You watched the coverage….
I hope there is some relief in the activity at your institution now that we have made it through another heavy viral season. Not that there really is a slow season in health care anymore, just a less busy one. So, welcome to the less busy season, when there is time to think and plan….
Following the ‘Six Aims’ By Tina L. Cermignano, CHESP There has been a lot of media attention about the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report “To Err is Human,” especially over outbreaks of community-based Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, we should concentrate on the second report from the IOM, “Crossing the Quality Chasm,” which provides a…
A new study has concluded the U.S. hospitals are beginning to embrace Lean and Six Sigma business management strategies to cut costs and boost productivity, despite there currently being little evidence as of yet that these strategies are effective. Lean management focuses on removing waste from companies and processes, while delivering added value to customers….
Chasing the numbers I spent a good part of the day writing performance evaluations. I find it somewhat refreshing to think about a staff member and write wonderful words that reflect their performance during the last year. Of course not every word is, glowing, but for the most part all my staff are good, hard…
Sit back and enjoy this short video on the history of today’s MRSA.
What is MRSA? Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that causes serious infections that are resistant to many of the strongest antibiotics, including methicillin and other more commonly used antibiotics (including penicillin and amoxicillin). (1) MRSA occurs most frequently among patients who undergo invasive medical procedures or who have weakened immune systems…
Suggestions for Infection control procedures for free-standing imaging centers and hospital radiology departments The cleanliness of free-standing imaging centers and hospital radiology departments is crucial for reducing the spread of MRSA and other acquired infections. The following are 11 simple procedures to implement that can prevent the spread of these infections. 1. Have a written…
By now, everyone should know that patient satisfaction data is no longer public. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems or HCAHPS for short, to increase accountability and transparency of healthcare delivery practices. It is the first public, and nationwide standardized survey that provides…
Never mix chemicals. Always wear gloves. Always wear protective eye wear or glasses when pouring chemicals or working overhead. Always wash your hands after chemical use and before eating. If a potentially harmful chemical comes in contact with your skin or eyes, flush with water immediately and call your supervisor. If n doubt about proper…
The most important staff related task we have in Environmental Services is training. Almost every challenge or difficulty we face can be reduced or eliminated with great training. I’m going to list steps that will help you conduct successful training. This is not meant to be a perfect or complete list, just use this as…
We know that our primary purpose is cleaning. We train our staff to recognize dirt and soil in so many forms and to remove it. We educate, coach and celebrate our successes. We also know that good strategies for combating infection and cross contamination include things such as hand washing and personal protective equipment. In…
Employees may be more prone these days to blame others for problems they have caused themselves, said Paul Harvey, assistant professor of management at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Harvey, who studies behavior in the workplace, said it is “a natural human tendency to want to deflect blame for negative outcomes (especially at…
Perhaps you sometimes think you don’t want the responsibility of running the ES department. If so you are not alone. When I transitioned from Supervisor to Manager some years ago it was like this. In the beginning, it was a challenge of transitioning from being an employee to running an organization, of being lonely and…