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  • Mind your EMTALA signage, expert cautions

    A number of hospitals have been cited in the past few months for lack of signs notifying patients of their rights under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), according to Stephen Frew, JD, a longtime specialist in EMTALA compliance.
  • Emtala Q & A: Are blood pressure checks covered under EMTALA?

    Question: At a smaller critical access hospital, members of the community have been allowed to come to the emergency department (ED) to have their blood pressure checked. There is no documentation of the visit or of the vital signs.
  • Preprinted forms gone; data flow is enhanced

    Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital in Columbia, SC, has replaced its old embosser card technology with a Patient Link Up Enterprise (PLUE) system that has eliminated costly preprinted forms and increased the clarity and accuracy of the patient data flow, says Charlene Cathcart, director of admissions and registration.
  • Access training program hits the road, sharing success with other facilities

    The University Hospital of Arkansas in Little Rock is taking its Strengthening Bridges program for access employees on the road and finding some additional benefits for the home crowd as well as for a new audience.
  • News Briefs

    Demand for beds expected to increase; Final OPPS rule increases spending; Emergency care crisis indicated by AZ survey; HHS issues final report on regulatory reform; Patient violence called biggest threat to ED staff; Cash discounts surface as government concern.
  • How one system scripted religious questions

    In early 2001, while serving as corporate director for registration and financial services at Crozer-Keystone Health System in Upland, PA, Anthony M. Bruno, MPA, MEd, developed a script for patient access representatives to use when asking patients about the release of information regarding religious preference.
  • Why do HCWs get stuck more than once?

    The operating room (OR) presents the greatest risk of multiple needlestick injuries, according to a study at BJC Healthcare in St. Louis.
  • A real pain in the neck: Ergonomics in the lab

    Theyre peering into microscopes: their forearms resting on the sharp edge of a counter, their shoulders slumped, one hand repeatedly tapping a counter. Theyre popping the tops off tubes and squeezing pipettes, repeating the motions over and over.
  • If the gloves fit, check them out

    Are your gloves the right fit for your hospital? To answer that, you need to consider much more than just whether they contain latex or powder. Does the level of tear resistance match the tasks of the wearer? Is the manufacturer known for quality? Is there a method for monitoring breaks in barrier protection? Did health care workers help choose the gloves they prefer?
  • CDC’s Hand-Hygiene Performance Indicators

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends indicators to measure improvement in adherence to hand-hygiene guidelines.