Author Archive for: Evan Sweeney
APIC conference updates: Ambulatory care
November 19th, 2009 
More updates from APICs “Healthcare-associated infections: A changing legal and regulatory landscape. For the previous two updates, click here for part 1, and here for part 2.
This session might be of particular interest to the OSHA Healthcare Advisor audience since it focused specifically on HAI prevention in ambulatory surgery centers (ASC).
The first to present was Dr. Joseph Perz, the prevention team leader for the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s worked extensively with safe injection practices, which have been a problem in recent years among ASCs.
APIC conference updates: A legal perspective
November 19th, 2009
More updates from APICs “Healthcare-associated infections: A changing legal and regulatory landscape. For the first post on opening remarks, click here.
Unfortunately I didn’t catch all of this session, but I’ll pass along what I did tune into:
Sheila Namm, Esp., R.N., MA, currently the vice-president of professional affairs at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, talked about the relationship between risk management and infection control:
APIC conference updates: Pronovost’s opening remarks
November 19th, 2009
No, I’m not blogging from Washington D.C. (still from the lovely confines of my cube), but APIC has made their conference, “Healthcare-associated infections: A changing legal and regulatory landscape” a hybrid event available via webcast so that interested parties that couldn’t make the trip could still tune in.
For those of you who aren’t tuning in today, I’m posting brief updates on the sessions and some of the major takaways.
The featured speaker was Dr. Peter Pronovost, a well-known medical director at Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care, which supports quality and safety efforts at the Johns Hopkins Hospitals. He’s also a practicing anesthesiologist and critical care physician, teacher, researcher, and international patient safety leader, with too many other titles and accomplishments for me to write out before you get bored.
Infection Prevention Handbook offers IC guidance for new IPs
November 19th, 2009
I just wanted to take a quick minute to congratulate our IC blogger Libby Chinnes, RN, BSN, for her new book, “The Infection Prevention Handbook,” which published last week.
WHO releases updated H1N1 guidance; information on caring for TB patients
November 18th, 2009
Many healthcare workers have voiced a concern that escalated focus on H1N1 prevention could detract from best-practices regarding tuberculosis (TB) patients.
Now there are considerations for patients with both.
More money means more problems for ASCs
November 18th, 2009
On the heels of previous funding for CMS surveys of ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of $9 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will go towards state survey agencies in 43 states.
But unlike most stimulus checks, this money could have non-accredited ASCs feeling a bit nervous.
IC associations make a plea for modified H1N1 guidlines, moratorium on OSHA enforcement
November 11th, 2009
It’s no secret that a couple national infection control associations disagree with the CDC regarding H1N1 respiratory protection. Back in June, when H1N1 outbreaks became a concern, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) was the first to recommend surgical masks over N95 respirators. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has also advocated for surgical masks.
But just because the CDC released their final recommendations, doesn’t mean these organizations are backing down just yet. SHEA, IDSA, and APIC have issued a letter to President Obama urging the federal government to modify the guidelines and put a moratorium on OSHA enforcement of the current H1N1 guidelines.
Even athletes aren’t exempt from H1N1 prevention
November 11th, 2009
Recent World Series championship aside, anyone who is a New York Yankee fan has felt some degree of frustration toward third-baseman Alex Rodriguez. It used to be that baseball fans chastised the multi-millionaire for his lack of clutch hitting. Now the infection control crowd is piling on, critiquing his respiratory etiquette instead of his swing.
Ohio OKs surgical masks after N95 study retraction
November 6th, 2009
At least one state isn’t hesitating to change respiratory protection requirements after authors of an influential Australian study retracted findings that N95 respirators provide more protection than surgical masks against the flu.
Ohio state officials have backed out on previous support of CDC requirements that recommend N95 respirators for healthcare workers treating patients with suspected H1N1, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. State requirements will now permit the use of surgical masks.
H1N1 settlement avoids strike, sets standard
November 4th, 2009
A settlement between the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) and Catholic Healthcare West in San Francisco averted a planned nurses strike on October 30, and potentially set the pace for other states regarding healthcare worker protection against H1N1, according to a November 2 press release.
The centerpiece of the settlement is a new system-wide emergency task force made up of RNs in the association and hospital representatives that will set uniform standards using federal, state, and local guidelines during a pandemic emergency. Each facility will also have CNA/NNOC nurse committees that will team up with infection control to implement system-wide policies and procedures.
