Communication and collaboration are critical elements of success for effective work environments, particularly in health care. When these elements break down, the result can be a cascade of negative events. Yet when collaboration is strong, it reaps positive benefits on the workplace culture and patient outcomes.

Smiths Medical, a leading global medical device manufacturer, announced on April 23 that its ViaValve Safety I.V. Catheter has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and can be marketed in the United States.

The National Quality Forum (NQF) Board of Directors has endorsed two measures that address all-cause unplanned readmissions in hospitals – an area of healthcare targeted for improvement given national imperatives to make healthcare safer, more affordable, and keep people healthy.

Phytel, the leader in physician-led population health improvement, and the Joslin Diabetes Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliate in the forefront of the fight against diabetes, recently announced their collaboration on a landmark research initiative to compare the accuracy and predictive value of current assessment methodologies for continuing medical education (CME) programs. The results will be used to inform ongoing efforts to improve diabetes care.

Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois—Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.; Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y.; Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York; City; St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac, Mich.; and The Connecticut Hospice, Inc. in Branford, Conn. have become the first hospitals across the country to receive Advanced Certification for Palliative Care from The Joint Commission.

Denver—The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has published an Implementation Guide for the Recommended practices for prevention of retained surgical items (RSIs).

Denver, Colorado—The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has awarded the AORN Seal of Recognition™ to education materials developed by Cardinal Health.

The Joint Commission (TJC) has released Sentinel Event Alert 48, “Health Care Worker Fatigue and Patient Safety.” Acknowledging that “many factors contribute to fatigue, including but not limited to insufficient staffing and excessive workloads,” TJC states that “the purpose of this Sentinel Event Alert is to address the effects and risks of an extended work day and of cumulative days of extended work hours.”