MRSA Infections Threaten Us
Sit back and enjoy this short video on the history of today’s MRSA.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus (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…
Steps for preventing infections in the MRI
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…
HCAHPS takes the mystery out of patient satisfaction
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…
Safety Rules for Chemical Use
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…
Procedures for Staff Training
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…
Cleaning is the Foundation of a Healthy Environment
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…
Watch for those excuses to increase
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…
Feeling A Little Discouraged?
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…
10 Areas to cover
Housekeeping management is often viewed as a straightforward position and can be an overlooked area for training. While everyone thinks they know how to clean, the management of housekeeping is more complex than people realize and has critical impact on guest satisfaction. To help tackle your job, cover these 10 areas: Guest experience Multicultural understanding…
Best Practices?
We have been doing patient rounding where we go see the patients and ask a few questions like, was your housekeeper friendly, was your room cleaned satisfactorily, is there anything we can do for you? We get good feedback and has helped our HCAHPS and Press Ganey scores. Recently I’ve started using workers that have…
Quality Guest Room Cleaning
Good old fashoned hotel guest room cleaning tips. While not hospital work it is similiar and we have to appreciate the hard working staff that take care of us away from home. Enjoy!
Networking
Today was a very busy day with major work on a new training program I am writing with help from a good friend and peer in this business. I also had the opportunity to network with several people and connect with one tonight on LinkedIn. I recommend to people that to stay in touch with…
Flu Vaccine
This is a picture of a flu virus. Are you getting the flu vaccine this year? I will be, as I’ve done every year.
The Joint Commission Expresses Concern Over Poor Infection Control in MRIs
HAYWARD, CA (March 4, 2009)—In its February 2009 newsletter, “Environments of Care News,” the Joint Commission, the main entity that accredits hospitals in the United States, has published an article titled “Preventing Infections in the MRI Suite: Magnetic Environment Poses Strong Challenges.” This landmark article quotes Peter Rothschild, M.D., author of the groundbreaking paper “Preventing…