In the wake of two recent suicides at Tampa General Hospital, federal regulators are threatening to stop Medicare funding to the hospital. The regulators cited serious safety problems at Tampa General's psychiatric unit, and an investigation found psychiatric patients to be in "immediate jeopardy." The hospital is changing procedures due to the findings, increasing how often patients are observed, and making physical changes to the unit, say Tampa General representatives.
St. Paul, MN-based Ecolab has introduced a preoperative antiseptic bathing kit that lets patients sterilize their bodies before undergoing surgery. The kits, which contain a 4-ounce bottle of chlorhexidine gluconate skin disinfectant, two wrapped washcloths and cleaning instructions, are expected to help hospitals cut down on the alarming number of surgery-related infections. Hospitals are expected to sell the kits, which have been approved by the FDA, for less than $40.
New Port Richey, FL-based Morton Plant North Bay Hospital has started a one-day clinic that focuses on lung cancer, hoping it will cut the diagnosis and testing time for patients. The hospital is starting with lung cancer because of its prevalence and, depending on patient feedback, could eventually start similar one-day clinics for other cancer patients. The clinic works like this: A patient sets up an appointment, either through their primary care physician or through a self-referral. The patient then undergoes a range of tests, such as CT scans and blood tests, that have typically been performed on different days and at different offices.
In the pediatric intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Elizabeth "Betsy" Hunt, PhD, regularly uses simulations to prepare medical students and staff for emergencies, such as cardiac arrests. For Hunt, simulation is all about improving teamwork, communication, and multitasking skills. Her research on resuscitation and critical care medicine led to her appointment as the first director of the hospital's Simulation Center in 2004, when she worked with engineers and architects to design and build the $5 million facility that opened its doors this year.
Hospitals in 23 states have said they will no longer bill patients for so-called "never events." It's not clear how many are being billed for medical mistakes, but a study last month by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that preventable errors may end up costing employers as much as $1.5 billion each year.
Four San Diego area hospitals have been fined $25,000 each after reporting preventable mistakes that killed one patient and injured several others. California health regulators are now also looking into three more cases in which patients were put in "immediate jeopardy."