May/June 2021 Issue of Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control
ON THE COVER
Why demand for physician leaders is growing
As a practicing OB-GYN in the 1980s, Lawrence Antonucci, MD, didn't necessarily aspire to become CEO of a health system.
How's Houston Methodist's vaccine mandate so far? 'Very successful,' says CEO Dr. Marc Boom
Houston Methodist managers had a deadline of April 15 to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the system's mandate. The numbers are in: 99.4 percent of the management team has complied.
10 top patient safety concerns for 2021, ranked by ECRI
Racial disparities in health and healthcare earned the No. 1 spot on ECRI's list of the top 10 patient safety concerns for 2021.
6 quality leaders on the safety issues they're prioritizing in 2021
In recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week, Becker's asked six hospital and health system quality leaders to share the patient safety issues they are prioritizing this spring and beyond.
How Ochsner Health achieved zero COVID-19 deaths among nurses: Tracey Moffatt, CNO
New Orleans-based Ochsner Health hasn't reported any COVID-19 deaths for its nursing staff across the entire system.
Northwell Health launches mental health center for employees, community
New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health has established the virtual Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery to address mental health needs of its 76,000 employees, their families and community members, the health system said April 14.
COVID-19 vaccine side effects and transmission: 4 Qs, answered
Vaccine small talk has trickled into Americans' daily conversations now that 33 percent of adults have received their first dose.
Why next flu season may be severe
Low levels of flu activity amid the COVID-19 pandemic have made it more challenging for experts developing next year's flu shot to predict which strains will predominate next winter, reports Politico.
CDC: mRNA vaccines reduce infection by 90% among healthcare workers
The messenger RNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were 90 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 infections in real-world settings, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published March 29.
Northwestern performs 1st 'COVID to COVID' double-lung transplant
Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine performed one of the nation's first known "COVID to COVID" double-lung transplants on a COVID-19 patient, the Chicago-based health system said this month.
UK variant more transmissible, not deadlier, study finds
The B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant, which first emerged in the U.K. and is now the dominant strain in the U.S., is more contagious, though not tied to higher death rates or worse outcomes, compared to older strains, according to a study published April 12 in The Lancet.
1 in 10 Black patients faces discrimination from healthcare staff
Nearly 11 percent of Black patients say they've experienced discrimination by a healthcare provider or their staff, according to an April 5 analysis from Urban Institute, a left-leaning think tank.
8 key COVID-19 vaccine administration errors
Administering a dose other than the one authorized by the FDA and administering a dose to someone too young are the main COVID-19 vaccine administration errors that occurred in the past four months, according to a report released April 22 by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
How clinicians can combat anti-Asian racism: 3 takeaways
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred an alarming jump in racial descrimination and violence against Asian Americans that physicians must address by tailoring their care practices, James Lee, MD, wrote in a commentary published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
INFECTION CONTROL
How's Houston Methodist's vaccine mandate so far? 'Very successful,' says CEO Dr. Marc Boom
Houston Methodist managers had a deadline of April 15 to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the system's mandate. The numbers are in: 99.4 percent of the management team has complied.
COVID-19 risk low from surface contamination; CDC updates cleaning guidelines
Studies have shown the risk of contracting COVID-19 from a contaminated surface is "generally less than 1 in 10,000," and in most cases, household cleaners rather than disinfectants are sufficient to ward off virus levels, the CDC said in updated guidance published April 5.
FDA warns of infection risk linked to urological endoscopes
The FDA is warning healthcare providers of a potential infection risk linked to reprocessed urological endoscopes after receiving numerous reports of patient infections and contamination issues, the agency said April 1.
Sutter hospital fined $155K over infection control violations after nurse's death
California health officials have fined Oakland, Calif.-based Alta Bates Summit Medical Center $155,250 over workplace infection control standards, the California Nurses Association said March 19.
ProMedica hospital adds UV light disinfection robot
ProMedica Toledo (Ohio) Hospital has tapped a sanitizing robot to help disinfect its operating rooms and neurological intensive care unit.
PATIENT SAFETY & OUTCOMES
6 quality leaders on the safety issues they're prioritizing in 2021
In recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week, Becker's asked six hospital and health system quality leaders to share the patient safety issues they are prioritizing this spring and beyond.
Kansas board cites 7 EMS workers who took gunshot patient to hospice, not the hospital
The Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services has cited seven Wichita-area emergency responders for unprofessional conduct, failing to provide adequate care and failing to follow protocol, reports The Wichita Eagle.
COVID-19 3rd leading cause of death in the US last year, CDC finds
After heart disease and cancer, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020, according to the CDC's latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published March 31.
5+ early symptoms may predict 'long COVID,' study finds
People who have more than five symptoms of COVID-19 during the first week of illness may be more likely to develop prolonged health issues, known as "long COVID," according to a study published March 10 in Nature Medicine.
How Intermountain connects COVID-19 patients to antibody treatments within 2 days of a positive test
While the FDA granted emergency use authorization to Regeneron and Eli Lilly's antibody treatments in November 2020, many healthcare organizations have been slow to adopt these treatments due to a web of logistical challenges.
PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE
Americans report worsening anxiety, depression symptoms: 4 CDC study findings
The percentage of U.S. adults reporting symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder rose between August 2020 and February 2021, according to a CDC report published March 26.
1 in 10 Black patients faces discrimination from healthcare staff
Nearly 11 percent of Black patients say they've experienced discrimination by a healthcare provider or their staff, according to an April 5 analysis from Urban Institute, a left-leaning think tank.
Majority of young nurses overwhelmed, exhausted over the last year: 5 key survey findings
About 71 percent of young nurses said they felt overwhelmed over the past year, according to survey results published March 10 — just ahead of the March 11 anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic's start.
COVID-19 surges threaten healthcare workers' mental health, WHO warns
The World Health Organization is warning about the rising risk of mental health challenges healthcare workers face amid a global surge of COVID-19, The Washington Post reported March 31.
1 in 6 healthcare employees would rather quit than get vaccinated
As COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available, healthcare companies are debating to what extent they should pressure their employees to be immunized, according to an April 5 article published byThe Washington Post.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT
Pew sets national targets to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions
The Pew Charitable Trusts established national targets for improving antibiotic use in hospitals based on CDC research that found 55.9 percent of antibiotic prescriptions for hospitalized patients were inappropriate. The findings were published March 18 in JAMA Network Open.
Black patients have less access to 'high quality' hospitals, analysis finds
Black adult patients were less likely to be admitted to hospitals considered "high-quality" for several patient safety indicators compared to white patients, according to an Urban Institute analysis published March 29.
Joint Commission, Kaiser launch care equity award in memory of Bernard Tyson
The Joint Commission and Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente on March 4 unveiled an annual healthcare equity award in memory of Bernard J. Tyson, Kaiser's late chair and CEO.
Minneapolis health system eliminates race-based kidney health determinant
Minneapolis-based M Health Fairview will stop automatically adjusting for race in a formula commonly used to measure kidney function, the health system said March 16.
Remdesivir linked to quicker clinical improvement in COVID-19 patients
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine demonstrated faster clinical improvement than patients who did not receive the drug, according to a study published March 24 in JAMA Network Open.
CLINICAL LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Why demand for physician leaders is growing
As a practicing OB-GYN in the 1980s, Lawrence Antonucci, MD, didn't necessarily aspire to become CEO of a health system.
Top nursing priorities for spring 2021: 6 CNOs weigh in
Six nursing leaders shared with Becker's what their No. 1 priority is for this spring.
How Ochsner Health achieved zero COVID-19 deaths among nurses: Tracey Moffatt, CNO
New Orleans-based Ochsner Health hasn't reported any COVID-19 deaths for its nursing staff across the entire system.
How clinicians can combat anti-Asian racism: 3 takeaways
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred an alarming jump in racial descrimination and violence against Asian Americans that physicians must address by tailoring their care practices, James Lee, MD, wrote in a commentary published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips: 3 trends for healthcare leaders to monitor
The three big trends for healthcare leaders to watch today are digital transformation, telehealth and value-based care, according to Amy Compton-Phillips, MD, president and chief clinical officer of Providence in Renton, Wash.