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In a special report on infection control and the environment of care, a Joint Commission publication cited the following suggestions as key points and checklists regarding infection control and the environment of care.
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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 created anxiety among employee health professionals (EHPs). It shouldnt. Privacy and confidentiality are issues that have long been respected in occupational health.
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These are vaccine-related events as of April 18. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta.
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Smallpox vaccinations slowed while some hospitals completed or halted their programs and others re-screened employees for cardiac contraindications. Yet concerns over cardiac problems did not stop some states from moving forward with Phase 2.
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When the elderly woman walked into the newly designed emergency department (ED) at Saint Josephs Hospital in Atlanta, she went directly to the registration desk. A triage nurse greeted her, learned that she had a cough and difficulty breathing, and asked the telltale question: Have you traveled to Asia in the past 10 days?
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Continued hospital transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Canada raised new questions about infection control precautions and whether those precautions were providing enough protection for health care workers. So far, swift identification of cases and adherence to infection control procedures have prevented widespread infection of U.S. health care workers, as has occurred in Asia and Canada.
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Reducing the risk of serious nosocomial infections is being considered as a 2004 national patient safety goal by the Joint Commission.
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Given recent events from emerging infections to the threat of bioterrorism, infection control professionals likely will be prepared for unannounced visits from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. They cant afford not to be.
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Major advances in reducing sharps injuries have not yet pervaded the operating room, where one out of four sharps injuries takes place. Employee health must be involved in helping change attitudes in the OR to promote safety, sharps safety experts say.