In its second-annual report on the top 10 technology-related safety hazards at hospitals, the ECRI Institute has added five new hazards to this year's list. The revisions are based on the prevalence and severity of the reports the group has received over the past year, recalls and actions it has reviewed, and other published reports. New on the list: air embolisms from contrast media injectors, retained devices and unretrieved fragments, fiber optic light-source burns, anesthesia hazards from inadequate pre-use inspection, and misleading displays on medical devices.
Heeding the call of President-elect Barack Obama, groups of consumers are gathering to discus what's wrong with healthcare in America and how to fix it. Early results suggest the public perception of the healthcare industry is that it's a broken system. In these focus groups, consumers say they want everything from comprehensive, employer-sponsored coverage to a new payment system to government-run universal healthcare.
Nearly two years ago, St. Vincent's Healthcare in Jacksonville, FL, gave Charlton Memorial Hospital a line of credit to help pay bills and remain open while changes were made. At that time, the hospital was on the verge of financial collapse. Now, Charlton is thriving and has added new services, including a clinic that is staffed by St. Vincent's specialists.
Ohio hospitals will now be required to make infection information public, despite an attempt by the state's Hospital Association to stop it. The group hoped to curtail the measure, trying to push through legislation. The Hospital Measures Advisory Council recommended in a 2006 law that hospitals disclose information about common infections, and whether facilities are vigilant about practices that reduce infection risk.
Few have signed on to Ohio's new health insurance program that targets middle-income families. Only four children have qualified for the program since enrollment began in April, and only two of those signed up. According to state officials, the low enrollment can be attributed to families simply not knowing the program exists, as well as its strict requirements.
Novant Health System has gotten approval to expand its Presbyterian Hospital-Huntersville, following a ruling by the Huntersville Board of Commissioners. The expansion will include a helipad and a six-level parking deck on its 31-acre campus. Commissioners agreed to let the hospital expand from 325,000 to 529,292 square feet.