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A firestorm over fit-testing has spilled over to another agency, derailing the release of draft tuberculosis guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If CDC recommends periodic fit-testing, will that be interpreted as annual fit-testing? If the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires annual fit-testing, should the TB guidelines be consistent with that?
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Influenza had a major impact on the nations hospitals this season, filling up intensive care units and leading to staff shortages. The hardship caused by influenza has added vigor to campaigns to improve vaccination of health care workers.
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Duke University Health System, based in Durham, NC, busted this common assumption about ergonomic equipment with a patient satisfaction survey that showed that patients like the mechanical lift devices.
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The verdict is in on lift teams at Tampa (FL) General Hospital: They save money and backs. They win kudos from nurses. Theyre here to stay.
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The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology recently posted information on its web site to assist infection control professionals (ICPs) in doing a sentinel event analysis. The information includes these highlights.
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The occupational health community has been shaken by the loss of one of its leaders. Geoff Kelafant, MD, MSPH, FACOEM, 45, died unexpectedly March 16 while vacationing in Cancun, Mexico.
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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has taken an unprecedented interest in improving infection control in the nations hospitals. In addition to making reducing nosocomial infections a national patient safety goal, the Joint Commission is preparing to roll out prescriptive new infection control standards for 2005.
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Public policy-makers trying to increase health insurance coverage will be more effective if they design programs that fit the uninsured population, according to Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin. The trick, he added, is figuring out the big picture, which often is too big to actually read.
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Although many governors are feeling more upbeat about their states economy than they did last year, they still see major problems ahead, particularly in health care. They have asked congressional leaders to not make it worse by including Medicaid cuts in the FY 2005 budget.
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As part of the recent hearing held by the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committees Subcommittee on Health on the problems of the uninsured, Len Nichols, vice president of Center for Studying Health System Change in Washington, DC, described 10 myths he said are widely held about the uninsured and then explained why economists say each of the myths is misleading.
