Holiday Decorations, Part 2: They’re Nice But Not if They Spread Infection
Is this the year when hospitals can finally embrace decorating again? Maybe not. Hospitals beds this winter are being filled across the country due to a rise in COVID-19 cases as well as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus cases that are hitting children particularly hard.
Want a Nursing Strategy? Build a Vision First!
It’s not exactly a news flash to say that staffing will be a top issue for nurse leaders in 2023. Kathleen Sanford, CNO at CommonSpirit Health, tells HealthLeaders that the massive challenge of recruiting and retaining nurses can be made more efficient when health systems know their mission and have a strategy for achieving it.
IHI Forum: Berwick Says ‘One of the Problems in Healthcare is Greed’
The focus on profits in U.S. healthcare is “damaging,” Institute for Healthcare Improvement President Emeritus and Senior Fellow Donald Berwick, MD, said during this week’s IHI Forum in Orlando, Florida. U.S. health systems, hospitals, and physician practices are committed to addressing the health needs of their patients. But making sure bottom lines are in the black and securing return on investment are also top goals at these healthcare organizations.
Holiday Decorations Can Cost a Lot If They Come With a Citation
A hospital in Kansas was cited by CMS in 2020 was cited under K-0753, the CMS K-tag for such festive adornments, for failing “to provide corridors safe from excessive combustible decorations” after a lab supply closet was spotted “completely covered with combustible decorations.”
Joint Commission Eliminates Use of ‘Licensed Independent Practitioner’
The Joint Commission (TJC) will no longer use the term “licensed independent practitioner” in its hospital and critical access hospital standards. Starting February 19, 2023, the term “licensed practitioner” will be used.
Pain Relief vs. Addiction and Overdose: Four Steps to Maintain an Appropriate Equilibrium
Opioids have become a substance of concern due to their propensity to spark misuse and addiction. Tragically, the CDC estimates that there have been about 1 million drug overdose deaths since 1999, of which 82.3% involved a synthetic opioid.
Hospital Amoxicillin Supply Not Keeping Up With Surging Demand
Data from Vizient, a healthcare consultancy with supply chain services, showed a 43% surge in demand for amoxicillin products in the acute care setting from September to October 2022. In that same period, fill rates dropped by 25%. This data comes from purchases by Vizient members, which encompass more than 60% of the nation’s healthcare organizations.
CMS Hones In On Underperforming Nursing Homes With Tougher Oversight
Eighty-eight nursing homes participate in the SFF Program, which is 0.5% of all nursing homes in the country. The Program was created to help nursing homes improve compliance and quality, however, some facilities have not been able to achieve the necessary standards to graduate from the Program, or they fail to sustain compliance.
IHI Forum: Leadership Pivotal in Implementing Joy in Work Initiatives
The IHI Framework for Improving Joy in Work is designed to reduce healthcare worker burnout and increase healthcare worker well-being. Healthcare worker burnout has spiked dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, with a recent research article finding that 62.8% of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2021 compared with 38.2% in 2020.
Medication Adherence: Technology’s Role in Improving Outcomes
A lack of prescription adherence has cost the U.S. more than $524 billion a year due to morbidity and mortality, according to the PAN Foundation. Organizations must look for ways to remove barriers to adherence to ensure patients can access the prescriptions they need, including through the utilization of technology platforms.