Tag Archives: healthcare

Help Lessen the 30,000+ Flu-Related Fatalities per Year by Getting a Flu Shot this Winter

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Why you should get a flu shot in 2020

Getting a flu shot is even more critical this year as the spread of COVID-19 can complicate diagnoses, put additional pressure on health systems and lessen the quality of care provided by medical professionals.

If facing challenges makes you stronger, then 2020 has been quite the teacher. Not only are we still in the process of addressing a pandemic that has claimed over 1.5 million lives globally, but, while all of this is happening, you can’t lose sight of the fact that you still have to protect yourself from common winter illnesses. In fact, health experts recommend taking even more precautions and preventative measures this year.

So what falls high on the list of these priorities? Getting your annual flu shot.


How the Flu Takes a Toll on Health Every Year


As it currently stands, about 30,000 to 60,000 Americans and 2,500 to 3,500 Canadians die due to complications … Read more...

High Quality of Healthcare = A Robust Quality Framework + a Strong Maturity Model

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Cost of Quality in Healthcare

“Health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time,” was aptly stated by American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator C. Everett Koop. While that statement is simple, the healthcare industry is farthest from that.

Like many industries, healthcare has some challenges that are endemic to that industry. Issues such as poor communication amongst teams, procedural workarounds and bias or preferential treatment to senior physicians can often have serious repercussions from misdiagnosed treatment to fatalities.

But all is not lost. In fact, some agencies and organizations have been able overcome challenges through frameworks that focus on the culture of quality.

Let’s take a further look.


The Center for Disease Control’s Key Recommendations to Protect Both the Safety and Quality of Patient Care


According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are ten … Read more...

EPA Launches Clean Water Rule, Safety Tips for Health Care Workers and More!

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On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • Clean Water Rule Courts Controversy
  • Safety Tips for Health Care Workers
  • Groundbreaking Animal Welfare Policy for Walmart’s Supply Chain
  • California’s Oil Spill

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. Until next week, enjoy the program!

EHS This Week Resources
For more information on the stories and resources mentioned in this week’s podcast, check out the links below.

  • EPA’s Clean Water Rule. Click here
  • Safety Tips for Health Care Workers. Click here.
  • Walmart’s Groundbreaking Animal Welfare Policy. Click here
  • California Oil Spill. Click here

[audio: 2015/05/EHSTW-052915.mp3]… Read more...

NIOSH Teams up with OSHA, Addressing Climate Change and More!

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On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • Companies Addressing Climate Change
  • NIOSH, OSHA offer toolkit on respiratory protection for health care workers
  • NIOSH Collaborating with Wikipedia
  • Healthier Hospital Initiative Seeing Results
  • NSC Cellphone related Car Crashes has increased

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you. Until next week, enjoy the program!

EHS This Week Resources
For more information on the stories and resources mentioned in this week’s podcast, check out the links below.

  • NSC Report on Distracted Driving. Click here
  • NIOSH Collaboration with Wikipedia Press Release. Click here.
  • Healthier Hospitals Initiative Milestone Report. Click here
  • Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit. Click here
  • “Mind the Science” May 2015 Report: Click here
  • We Mean
… Read more...

EHS This Week: OSHA calls fowl on large Poultry Farm, Ebola Research & Employee Safety and More!

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On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • OSHA fines large poultry farm over $100,000 for alleged violations
  • NIOSH creates new resource for: Health Hazard Evaluation Program
  • Proposed Ebola virus research and employee safety

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you.

Until next week, enjoy the program!

EHS This Week Resources
For more information on the stories and resources mentioned in this week’s podcast, check out the links below.

  • NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program Booklet: Click here
  • Eloba virus research workshop: Details here

[audio: 2014/11/EHSTW-110714.mp3]… Read more...

OSHA’s regulatory agenda for 2014, Healthcare’s aging workforce, USDA & EPA water quality trading, and more on EHS This Week.

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On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • OSHA’s regulatory agenda for 2014
  • Healthcare’s aging workforce
  • USDA & EPA expanded water quality trading program, and more.

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you.

Until next week, enjoy the program!

[audio: 2013/12/EHSTW120613.mp3]… Read more...

Injury reports in pharmacies suggest extra caution during peak flu vaccination months

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A recent NIOSH study examined the reported incidence of needlestick injuries at a US nationwide pharmacy chain and revealed a few valuable conclusions. From 2000 to 2011 there were 33 needlestick injuries reported by 31 different pharmacy locations. Of these 33 injuries, 24 (73%) occurred from September through January, the period during which flu vaccinations are commonly administered.

Overall incidence of needlestick injuries was low, with annual incidence of needlestick injuries at these pharmacies ranging from 0 to 3.62 per 100,000 vaccinations. Injuries were most likely to occur after needle use and before disposal (58% of reported incidents). Additionally, researchers warned that needlestick injuries are often underreported.

The researchers believe that many if not all of the needlestick injuries they reviewed were likely preventable. Their recommendations included better tracking of injuries and following needlestick prevention guidelines. Vaccination providers can hopefully learn from the observations made in this study and … Read more...

U.S. hospitals realizing it pays to measure quality of care

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Ahead of a value-based purchasing initiative to begin for Medicare in 2014 under the federal government’s Affordable Care Act, hospitals across the U.S. should be taking a long, hard look at their quality processes and how they measure their success. Value-based purchasing under the U.S. healthcare reform means Medicare will start paying institutions more for scoring high on a series of measures that indicate patient care, and will pay less to those who do not meet the quality benchmarks.

While quality of health care is important if only to ensure patients receive satisfactory care, a few hospitals in the U.S. who earnestly measure their quality processes are starting to notice an additional benefit to ensuring the utmost care is delivered. One successful case is Detroit’s Henry Ford Health Systems, which launched a quality improvement program in 2008 called the “No Harm Campaign”. The program sought to improve patient care … Read more...