Hospital Employee Health – July 1, 2011
July 1, 2011
View Issues
-
AHA: Hospitals should create a 'culture of health' for HCWs
It's time for hospitals to stand up for the health and wellness of their own. -
Small hospital, big focus on wellness
Creating a comprehensive wellness program may sound like a luxury to a small, rural hospital. A fancy gym? Biometric screenings? Financial incentives? Those require resources. -
OSHA targeting ambulatory care
Outpatient centers have historically attracted little attention from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, although needle market data shows they have lagged in sharps safety. But that hands-off approach is ending with a regional emphasis program in four states. -
Money motivates HCWs to be healthy
As with most employers, the cost of health insurance was rising year after year for Sentara Healthcare of Norfolk, VA, an integrated health care delivery system that includes eight acute care hospitals, outpatient centers, long-term care, and Optima Health Plan, an insurance subsidiary. -
Why are 1 in 3 sticks linked to hypodermics?
About one out of every three needlesticks occurs with a hypodermic syringe a device that is available with many types of safety features. As thousands of needlesticks continue to occur from hypodermic needles, hospitals need to do a better job of protecting health care workers from bloodborne pathogens, safety experts say. -
Nurses share stories on blood exposures
For Cheryll Collins, the moment of fear didn't come with the sharp prick of a needlestick. It was a sudden splatter of blood a mere drop in the eye. From a patient with end-stage AIDS and hepatitis C. -
Power lifting: Keys to a better lift program
The following elements were associated with a higher safe lift index and lower workers' compensation claims: -
Better lift programs raise bottom line
Safe lift programs save money, and they save more if they are comprehensive and have leadership support. That finding from a new study of workers' compensation and lift-related injuries in long-term care provides a strong, new underpinning for the financial benefits of safe patient handling. -
What should your lift policy include?
The following elements should be addressed in a safe lift policy, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: -
Older workers have more serious injuries
As the health care workforce ages, the severity of work-related injuries is increasing, requiring new strategies for protecting workers. At the top of the list: Preventing falls, which are already the second most common cause of reportable injury in hospitals. -
OSHA extends comment deadline on MSD rule
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) briefly reopened the comment period on the proposed rule to record work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The comments came from May 17 to June 16, about a month after two teleconferences focused on concerns of small businesses.