March/April 2023 Issue of Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control
ON THE COVER
3 reasons why physicians aren't specializing in infectious diseases
The U.S. is facing a dire shortage of infectious disease specialists and some experts point to a complex web of issues that currently face the specialty as drivers of the shortage, Fox News reported Jan. 25.
US spends most on healthcare but has worse outcomes: 6 report findings
The U.S. spends two to four times as much on healthcare as most other high-income countries, but the health outcomes lag behind, a new Commonwealth Fund study found.
5 patient experience tips from Cleveland Clinic's former CXO
Adrienne Boissy, MD, a practicing neurologist and Cleveland Clinic's former chief experience officer, has been in healthcare for 20 years, but as is the case with so many professionals in the field, COVID-19 reshaped how she viewed the patient experience and her role as a provider.
Paxlovid rebound rate is 14%, study finds
The risk of a Paxlovid rebound may be higher than previously reported, according to a study published Feb. 22 in Clinical Infectious Diseases, an Oxford University Press journal.
5th person cured of HIV, researchers say
Another person has been cured of HIV, according to findings published Feb. 20 in Nature.
The key to reinvigorating infection control? Getting back to basics, says Mount Sinai's Dr. Aaron Glatt
After three long pandemic years, the time is now for hospital clinicians to refocus efforts on infection control and prevention, said Aaron E. Glatt, MD, chair of medicine, chief of infectious disease and epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, N.Y.
Nurse practitioners often an untapped solution to workforce shortages, AANP president says
Hospital beds are nearly full and waiting times in emergency departments across the U.S. are often untenable. However, April Kapu, DNP, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, recently told Becker's that nurse practitioners can provide solutions for hospitals facing clinician shortages.
How 4 chief medical officers are navigating challenges while prioritizing care
Navigating nationwide staffing shortages while maintaining quality of care are just two of the many mounting challenges chief medical officers face, and seek to overcome, right now.
Texas hospital completes 11- hour 'historic' surgery to separate conjoined twins
A team of 25 medical professionals at Fort Worth, Texas-based Cook Children's Medical Center performed the hospital's first separation procedure for conjoined twin sisters on Jan. 23. The 11-hour surgery required months of planning and several simulation surgeries, the hospital said in a news release.
How Henry Ford rehired 25% of nurses who left during the pandemic
Job flexibility is at the center of hospitals' and health systems' strategies to welcome back nurses who left during earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic — and some are seeing significant progress.
Taking a strategic approach to virtual nursing: The top 3 do's and don'ts
The persistent nursing shortage has pushed many hospitals and health systems toward innovative nursing models as a means to maximize staff, improve patient satisfaction and reduce costs.
How Novant's Heather King went from CNA to hospital president
Heather King, BSN, RN, president and chief operating officer of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia, N.C., climbed from certified nursing assistant to hospital executive in 17 years because, as her mentor put it, she "never said no to anything."
INFECTION CONTROL
When it comes to masking in hospitals, '1 size doesn't fit all,' says Northwell Health's chief of infectious diseases
New York state dropped its masking requirement regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status in hospitals on Feb. 12, giving healthcare organizations the ability to set their own masking guidelines going forward.
Smallpox vaccine may offer protection against mpox, study finds
Smallpox vaccinations may present a degree of protection from mpox infection, research from several Spain physicians has found.
The key to reinvigorating infection control? Getting back to basics, says Mount Sinai's Dr. Aaron Glatt
After three long pandemic years, the time is now for hospital clinicians to refocus efforts on infection control and prevention, said Aaron E. Glatt, MD, chair of medicine, chief of infectious disease and epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, N.Y.
3 reasons why physicians aren't specializing in infectious diseases
The U.S. is facing a dire shortage of infectious disease specialists and some experts point to a complex web of issues that currently face the specialty as drivers of the shortage, Fox News reported Jan. 25.
11-year-old boy dies from flesh-eating bacteria after ankle injury, invasive Strep A
An 11-year-old Florida boy died of flesh-eating bacteria after spraining his ankle, NBC affiliate WESH reported Feb. 18.
PATIENT SAFETY & OUTCOMES
45% of patients infected with H. pylori do not receive proper treatment, 1st of its kind study finds
A new study published in Nature found major gaps in the treatments of patients infected with Helicobacter pylori, bacteria that can lead to stomach ulcers and is persistently found to be a risk factor for gastric cancer — the fourth-deadliest cancer worldwide.
US spends most on healthcare but has worse outcomes: 6 report findings
The U.S. spends two to four times as much on healthcare as most other high-income countries, but the health outcomes lag behind, a new Commonwealth Fund study found.
Penn Medicine hospital cited over wrong-site surgery
Pennsylvania health officials have cited Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital for several safety issues in recent months, including a wrong-site surgery, Penn Live reported Feb. 23.
Paxlovid rebound rate is 14%, study finds
The risk of a Paxlovid rebound may be higher than previously reported, according to a study published Feb. 22 in Clinical Infectious Diseases, an Oxford University Press journal.
New York hospital fires nurse who roughly handled newborn
Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, N.Y., has fired a nurse who appears to have roughly handled a newborn baby on a video filmed by the child's father, according to a report from News12 New Jersey.
PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE
How 4 chief medical officers are navigating challenges while prioritizing care
Navigating nationwide staffing shortages while maintaining quality of care are just two of the many mounting challenges chief medical officers face, and seek to overcome, right now.
Precise size of US labor shortage in question
Economists agree that workers are missing from the labor force — but they can't agree on exactly how many, or exactly where they've gone, Bloomberg reported Feb. 24
The latest talked-about workplace trend: 'Bare minimum Mondays'
The term "quiet quitting" — referring to a phenomenon in which employees reduce their enthusiasm at work and stick to the minimum expectations of their role — gained traction on social media and in the news in recent months. Now, there is a new workplace trend becoming popular: "bare minimum Mondays," Fortune reported Feb. 13.
60% of Americans uncomfortable with AI in medical care: 4 findings
A majority of Americans are still uneasy about artificial intelligence being used in their own medical care, a Feb. 22 report from Pew Research Center found.
Some Gen Zers hope they get laid off: Here's why
Younger generations aren't lamenting layoffs, Bloomberg reported Feb. 8.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT
Some hospital staff confuse emergency codes, study finds
Many hospital employees are unable to identify the meaning of emergency codes, which could hinder an urgent response to incidents, according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Omicron is 1.5 times more deadly than flu inside hospitals, study finds
SARS-CoV-2 omicron infections are more likely to result in death than the flu inside hospitals, a study in Switzerland found.
HCA Healthcare surgical recovery program sees decrease in length of stay, readmission rates
A surgical recovery program implemented by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare has so far shown a reduction in length of hospital stays by two days and a 44 percent decrease in opioid usage.
CMS hospital readmission reduction program ineffective for COPD, study suggests
Researchers found CMS' Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program slowed adoption of quality inpatient care for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Florida researchers win 'COVID-killing' nano-coating patent
Researchers at the University of Central Florida secured a patent for a "nanomaterial-based disinfectant that can kill several viruses," including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the Orlando-based school said Feb. 20.
NURSING SPOTLIGHT
Meet the nurse hospitals won't hire
Katie Duke, a nurse practitioner who is the host of a podcast called "Bad Decisions," an Instagram influencer, brand ambassador for Figs scrubs and a stand-up comedian, is not getting hired by hospitals, The Washington Post reported Feb. 21.
How Novant's Heather King went from CNA to hospital president
Heather King, BSN, RN, president and chief operating officer of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia, N.C., climbed from certified nursing assistant to hospital executive in 17 years because, as her mentor put it, she "never said no to anything."
Nurse practitioners often an untapped solution to workforce shortages, AANP president says
Hospital beds are nearly full and waiting times in emergency departments across the U.S. are often untenable. However, April Kapu, DNP, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, recently told Becker's that nurse practitioners can provide solutions for hospitals facing clinician shortages.
Taking a strategic approach to virtual nursing: The top 3 do's and don'ts
The persistent nursing shortage has pushed many hospitals and health systems toward innovative nursing models as a means to maximize staff, improve patient satisfaction and reduce costs.
How to get nurses to stay? Less talk, more action, says AACN president
The widespread shortage of nurses is the result of a foundational crack in hospital systems across the country, Amanda Bettencourt, PhD, APRN, president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, told Becker's.