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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued five general duty clause citations against hospitals in Fiscal Year 2013, based on a provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
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Not too many years ago, the primary mission of employee health departments was to handle work-related injuries and job-related medical surveillance. Now the mission has expanded at many facilities to focus on overall health and well-being of the entire population of employees.
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Hospitals that hire temporary workers share responsibility for their safety with the temporary staffing agency, according to a recent bulletin by the Occupational Safety & Health Agency (OSHA).
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Thirteen years after the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act required health care employers to use safer sharps devices, hospitals were more frequently cited for violations of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard than any other occupational health and safety regulation.
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Increasing numbers of hospital employee health departments will move to electronic health records (EHRs) in coming years as health systems see the need for big data to better inform population health decisions.
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Patient access areas need revamped processes due to new payer requirements for detailed clinical information, to avoid a sudden increase in claims denials.
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A task force made up of healthcare leaders and consumer representatives has reached consensus on how consumers can obtain clear and easy-to-understand information about their financial obligation for healthcare services, before any tests or procedures are performed.
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Patient access areas risk being short-staffed if leaders dont monitor patient volumes closely.
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At Louisville, KY-based Baptist Healths seven hospitals, the focus on standardizing patient access and scheduling functions started two years ago, at the same time a new registration system was being implemented.
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Patient access areas, especially those responsible for obtaining prior authorizations and contesting denials, must have proper access to clinical information, urges David Hoogenboom, CHAA, team lead/patient access liaison III in the Outpatient Access Department at Danbury (CT) Hospital.