-
Being greener is safer. As hospitals join the sustainability movement, they are making the workplace safer for their own employees.
-
When a single imported case of measles led to a small outbreak in Tucson, AZ, in 2008, two hospitals were forced to spend a total of some $800,000 to contain it, much of that related to ensuring the immunity of employees.
-
When Union Pacific designed and built its new headquarters building in Omaha, NE, stairways of all things were a big part of the planning process.
-
The skin is a very effective barrier to hazards such as blood or body fluids. But because some chemicals can penetrate the skin, health care workers need to be aware of the risks and necessary protections, says Scott Dotson, PhD, CIH, an industrial hygienist with the Education and Information Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati.
-
Hospitals will need to retrain all their employees on chemical hazards when the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration finalizes its changes to the Hazard Communication Standard.
-
If an employee reports carpal tunnel syndrome to his or her primary care physician, the provider may wrongly assume it's work-related and therefore, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-recordable.
-
Is an injury covered by workers' compensation insurance? Does the worker's supervisor believe the injury didn't really happen at work? Did the employee see a health care provider?
-
The Asthma Management Program at Children's Medical Center in Dallas is a good example of a best practice in education. It received certification from The Joint Commission in 2003 for disease-specific care for pediatric asthma.
-
Most patient education managers would agree that a system for documenting understanding of the teaching that takes place is important. Yet there is not a cookie-cutter method that institutions follow.
-
At Barnes-Jewish Hospital's Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence, St. Louis, MO, the Daylight program trains volunteers recognized and influential women from local refugee and immigrant communities to provide to their peers culturally sensitive information about breast health and breast cancer, including early detection methods. The program has been profiled by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
