February/March 2024 Issue of Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control
ON THE COVER
How Mount Sinai is improving the patient experience
New York City-based Mount Sinai is looking to new technology this year to streamline care and enhance the patient experience, according to LeWanza Harris, MD.
Healthcare jobs' strong month in 8 numbers
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest jobs report, published Feb. 2, indicating employment gains in several areas of healthcare, including hospitals.
CHS cuts serious safety events by 89%
Over the last decade, Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has significantly reduced the incidence of serious patient safety events across its member hospitals.
Nurse change agent, advocate dies at 97
Claire Fagin, PhD, RN, a leading change agent and nurse advocate, died Jan. 16, The New York Times reported Jan. 17. She was 97.
The strategy one hospital used to reduce surgical site infections
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison formed a "Strike Team" to create oversight and determine the possible cause of surgical site infections that occurred after colorectal surgery.
Intermountain's blueprint for reshaping respiratory virus care in 2024
Despite rising respiratory infections nationwide, Kim Bennion, the enterprise director of research and respiratory care at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare, is optimistic about what 2024 may hold for respiratory care, thanks in-part to advances in technology like artificial intelligence. The advancements promise to streamline pulmonary care and could eventually be used to also monitor more acute respiratory conditions like COVID-19 or the flu.
Hospital masking picks up steam
More health systems have implemented mask rules in recent weeks amid an uptick in respiratory virus activity and growing concerns over potential capacity issues this winter.
5 patient safety focuses to help healthcare inch close to 'zero preventable harm'
The Patient Safety Movement Foundation, a non-profit based in Irvine, Calif., made up of patient safety experts and clinicians, announced five key focuses for 2024 as the organization works to create a "zero preventable harm" environment throughout the healthcare sector.
AdventHealth hired 7,000 nurses in 2 years. What happened next?
AdventHealth needed nurses post-pandemic. Quickly.
Are rising NCLEX pass rates a concern? 5 chief nursing executives weigh in
Critics have raised concerns around the NCLEX test and the rate at which students are passing the exam, but chief nursing officers told Becker's there are reasons for the improved scores.
How Scripps combats low-performing metrics
In an effort to focus on low-performing metrics, Scripps Health introduced "Sprint Teams," a program aimed at addressing challenges and driving initiatives through direct engagement with front-line care teams.
INFECTION CONTROL
The strategy one hospital used to reduce surgical site infections
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison formed a "Strike Team" to create oversight and determine the possible cause of surgical site infections that occurred after colorectal surgery.
Should you reuse that N95 mask for your hospital shift?
A shortage of N95 masks in 2020 led the CDC to craft guidelines for healthcare workers who needed to reuse them for multiple shifts, but a new study, published Jan. 26 in JAMA, has found reuse of these masks can hurt their efficacy.
Healthcare leaders report progress on HAIs
Hospitals lost significant progress in reducing healthcare-associated infections amid the pandemic, but many organizations are starting to see improvements, according to a LinkedIn poll conducted by Becker's.
Intermountain's blueprint for reshaping respiratory virus care in 2024
Despite rising respiratory infections nationwide, Kim Bennion, the enterprise director of research and respiratory care at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare, is optimistic about what 2024 may hold for respiratory care, thanks in-part to advances in technology like artificial intelligence. The advancements promise to streamline pulmonary care and could eventually be used to also monitor more acute respiratory conditions like COVID-19 or the flu.
Hospital masking picks up steam
More health systems have implemented mask rules in recent weeks amid an uptick in respiratory virus activity and growing concerns over potential capacity issues this winter.
PATIENT SAFETY & OUTCOMES
Cleveland Clinic confiscated 30K weapons in 2023: What to know
In his Jan. 24 "State of the Clinic" address, Cleveland Clinic's president and CEO mentioned that the system confiscated 30,000 weapons from patients and visitors in 2023.
Texas Children's leads in pediatric organ transplants for 7th year
Houston-based Texas Children's Hospital has performed 100 more transplants than any other pediatric hospital in the U.S. in the last decade. And 2023 was the seventh consecutive year the hospital has led in organ transplants.
The top safety measure for hospitals this year: Poll
This year, healthcare professionals are focused on patient and staff safety, a recent Becker's poll found.
Matching gender of surgeon, patient does not affect outcomes: Study
A recent University of California Los Angeles study found patient-surgeon "gender concordance" does not affect patient outcomes.
AdventHealth reaches landmark 1,000 liver transplants
A team of surgeons at Orlando-based AdventHealth Transplant Institute performed the 1,000th liver transplant since the program's inception in 2007, according to a Nov. 30 news release.
PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE
How Mount Sinai is improving the patient experience
New York City-based Mount Sinai is looking to new technology this year to streamline care and enhance the patient experience, according to LeWanza Harris, MD.
Heavy healthcare hiring softened sting of quits, analysis suggests
Many healthcare workers left their jobs a year into the pandemic even though overall employment in the sector remained steady, according to a new study that adds texture to the ongoing examination of workforce tumult facing hospitals and health systems.
Healthcare jobs' strong month in 8 numbers
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest jobs report, published Feb. 2, indicating employment gains in several areas of healthcare, including hospitals.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT
How Scripps combats low-performing metrics
In an effort to focus on low-performing metrics, Scripps Health introduced "Sprint Teams," a program aimed at addressing challenges and driving initiatives through direct engagement with front-line care teams.
CHS cuts serious safety events by 89%
Over the last decade, Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has significantly reduced the incidence of serious patient safety events across its member hospitals.
5 patient safety focuses to help healthcare inch close to 'zero preventable harm'
The Patient Safety Movement Foundation, a non-profit based in Irvine, Calif., made up of patient safety experts and clinicians, announced five key focuses for 2024 as the organization works to create a "zero preventable harm" environment throughout the healthcare sector.
'TeamBirth' method has streamlined 115 births at Virginia Mason since rollout
Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center launched a new model of labor and delivery care, one that has rolled out at a handful of hospitals nationwide — including at 15 hospitals in Washington state — and has since streamlined processes for 115 new births since its implementation in October.
Collaborative care in hospitals tied to stronger outcomes
A new study based on data from more than 7,000 patients found collaborative care models in hospitals are tied to shorter hospital stays and other improved outcomes.
NURSING SPOTLIGHT
AdventHealth hired 7,000 nurses in 2 years. What happened next?
AdventHealth needed nurses post-pandemic. Quickly.
Nurse change agent, advocate dies at 97
Claire Fagin, PhD, RN, a leading change agent and nurse advocate, died Jan. 16, The New York Times reported Jan. 17. She was 97.
Are rising NCLEX pass rates a concern? 5 chief nursing executives weigh in
Critics have raised concerns around the NCLEX test and the rate at which students are passing the exam, but chief nursing officers told Becker's there are reasons for the improved scores.