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More Than 3,000 HCWs Infected With COVID-19 in China
More than 3,000 healthcare workers in China have suspected or confirmed novel coronavirus infections, raising the stakes considerably as employee health professionals brace for community spread to begin in the United States. The authors of a published report from China described a COVID-19 outbreak in a hospital in Wuhan, which resulted in 40 infections in clinical staff caring for patients. In addition, about one-fourth of the healthcare workers contracted the coronavirus from a single patient.
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Preserving Respirators and Extending Use
CDC guidelines for extending respirator supplies for the emerging novel coronavirus include excluding or limiting patient visitors and considering cohorting patients or staff. A standard face mask — not an N95 respirator — should be used as source control on a suspected COVID-19 patient. Regarding cohorting, when single patient rooms are not available, patients with confirmed COVID-19 may be placed in the same room.
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Tampa General Hospital COVID-19 Screening Questionnaire
Tampa General Hospital developed a screening tool to use for patients and healthcare workers suspected of COVID-19 infection. Patients can be screened via phone or in person.
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COVID-19 Outbreak in Nursing Home Includes HCW Infection, Resident Deaths
An outbreak of novel coronavirus COVID-19 at a long-term care facility near Seattle has killed at least five elderly residents and infected two healthcare workers. The situation was changing rapidly as this report was filed, but other residents and workers at the facility were under investigation for COVID-19 infection. More cases were expected as the Seattle area is experiencing the largest community outbreak in the United States.
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Global Standards Help Improve Patient Safety and Outcomes
A Louisiana health system is improving safety and patient outcomes by expanding its use of barcodes and other tracking under the commonly used GS1 standards. The effort also is yielding better inventory management. Along the way, the health system developed a GS1 implementation program that other organizations can use.
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Targeted Rounds Reduce PICU CAUTIs to Zero
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has achieved a rate of zero catheter-associated urinary tract infections through the use of daily targeted rounds. The hospital has maintained that zero rate for more than one year.
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Late Career Credentialing Policy Addresses Physicians Age 75 Years and Older
The following bullet points contain more information about the late career practitioner policy that has been instituted at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
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EEOC Sues Hospital for Mandatory Exams for Employees at Age 70 Years
A lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges one facility's late career practitioner policy is illegal because it singles out individuals for testing based only on their age, not any suspicion about a decline in cognitive or physical abilities.
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Aging Physicians May Require Additional Assessments for Credentialing
There is no mandatory retirement age for physicians, but there is good reason to consider how aging may affect their abilities to safely and effectively practice medicine, especially for surgeons. Some healthcare organizations are addressing those concerns with programs that provide additional monitoring and testing for physicians as they age.
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Doctor Wins Defamation Suit Alleging Improper Peer Review Process
Responding to allegations of physician misbehavior is a challenge. A recent court case holds lessons for what can go wrong when a hospital does not follow best practices or even its own internal policies.