Study: Nurse diversity may reduce risk of maternal health issues
Editor’s Note A study from Columbia University researchers finds that hiring a more diverse nurse workforce may assist in combating “racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes” and reduce risk of maternal health issues, NBC News July 20 reports. According to the study published by the American Journal of…
WHO declares monkeypox a global emergency
Editor's Note On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern following the agency’s emergency committee inability to reach a consensus, Becker’s Hospital Review July 25 reports. After the no conclusion was drawn in the most recent meeting, WHO Director-General Dr…
A team approach to reducing instrumentation, costs during the age of COVID-19
ORs rebounding from the financial impact of COVID-19 are looking for ways to reduce expenses. With rising costs coming from all angles of the economy, some have adopted systemwide processes to reduce, streamline, and improve surgical instrumentation sets. Two major health systems, the Cleveland Clinic and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital…
Editorial
With inflation hitting yet another record-breaking high—9.1% at the time of publication—hospitals and health systems continue to contend with challenging supply chain disruptions that force leaders into a constant state of putting out fires. Supply chain issues are not new. But instead of having time to plan ahead and implement…
Ramifications of unprofessional behavior on patients, staff
Lynn Webb, PhD, assistant dean of the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, shared an anecdote about unprofessional behavior with attendees of the recent OR Business Management Conference in San Antonio, Texas. A nurse reported that a surgeon was performing a transverse colon resection, and at the appropriate point, they…
Patient safety starts from understanding different perspectives
In 2021, Patient Safety in Surgery published the article, “Incidence and OR team awareness of near-miss and retained surgical sharps: A national survey on United States operating rooms,” from a nationwide survey with over 400 surgeons, anesthesiologists, OR nurses and surgical technologists on the frequency of lost and retained sharps.…
Preventing culture shock with a new approach to block time
The passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009 brought electronic health records (EHR) to the forefront, but the concept existed long before that. Larry Weed and Jan Schultz at the University of Vermont developed a preliminary system in the 1970s. In 2014,…
Tips to prepare for AAAHC accreditation
The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) has been accrediting ambulatory healthcare facilities, including ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), for more than 40 years, with some 6,100 accredited organizations. A top philosophy of AAAHC is “1095 Strong,” which emphasizes the importance of integrating quality practices throughout a facility’s 1,095 days…
Association between vaccination and MI, stroke after COVID-19 infection
Editor's Note This Korean study finds that full COVID-19 vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of acute myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke after being infected with COVID-19. Of 592,719 patients with COVID-19 during the study period, 231,037 were included in the analysis, of whom 62,727 were never vaccinated…
11 schools starting nursing programs
Editor's Note Eleven schools have recently started nursing programs and partnerships to address the persistent nursing shortages around the country, the July 19 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Included in the list: Yale School of Nursing in Orange, Connecticut, began an online master’s degree program. Penn Nursing in Philadelphia began an…