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Fall prevention efforts usually target those thought most likely to fall, but does that leave the other patients at risk if no one is paying attention to their potential for falling? A special focus on high risk patients doesn't have to shortchange others, says Pamela E. Toto, PhD, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA, an occupational therapist at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
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Risk managers should have an active role in purchasing and managing insurance, says R. Stephen Trosty, JD, MHA, CPHRM, president of Risk Management Consulting in Haslett, MI, and a former insurance company executive.
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That could be the mantra of a growing number of hospitals that are finding that green practices help build a culture of safety. Greener chemicals and cleaning processes may be environmentally responsible, but they also present fewer health concerns for employees, patients and visitors.
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Mandatory influenza vaccination programs are gaining traction at hospitals around the country, but few hospitals have opted for the most stringent policies.
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Hospitals should boost the pertussis vaccination rates of their employees, track and report their influenza vaccination rates, and review employees' immunity to measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), according to updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Want help setting up a workplace wellness program that can improve the health of your employees? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a National Healthy Worksite Program and will work with up to 15 employers in each of seven regions nationwide. This program does not provide grant funds, but participating employers will receive assistance in drafting policies, implementing programs and evaluating outcomes
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The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions new guidelines -- Immunization of Healthcare Personnel include the following highlights and updated recommendations:
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Safer sharps do not eliminate the risk of hepatitis C for health care workers, but new drugs can spare them from a dire prognosis.
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Getting a flu shot doesn't provide as much protection as was previously reported, according to new analysis of more than 5,000 studies. Now it's time to be honest about the limitations of the vaccine to build trust with health care workers, says an international expert in risk communication.
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Nurses' aides have more serious work-related musculoskeletal injuries than any other occupation, and registered nurses rank fifth in MSDs despite years of efforts to promote safe patient handling. Those and other dismal injury statistics spurred the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to announce new, targeted inspections of nursing homes, an action that could ultimately increase scrutiny of hospitals as well.
