Hospital bugs like MRSA and C Diff may always be with us, a top consultant microbiologist with Ireland's Health Protection Surveillance Centre has warned. The priority in hospitals around the world is to minimize the incidence of Healthcare-Associated Infections as much as possible, and Fidelma Fitzpatrick, MD, believes hospitals have procedures in place to prevent them. But eventually eliminating MRSA, C Diff, and other infections in hospitals or the community is problematic because "as long as there is healthcare, there will be HCAIs," she added.
The chief legislative advocate for the New Jersey office of the AARP wrote a guest commentary this week in the Bergen Record urging state lawmakers to pass legislation to give patients the information they need to choose the right facility for their healthcare needs. Marilyn Askin says in the commentary that hospital-specific medical error information is still hidden from the New Jersey public, which has the right to know which medical facilities have the highest and lowest major medical error rates.
The Pennsylvania Legislature recessed on June 30 without reauthorizing the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council's funding, leaving the organization inactive. The Pottsville Republican & Herald opined on the subject, calling the organization a "valuable public enterprise." Editors added that more so than any other agency nationwide, the Council "has quantified the devastating impact of hospital-acquired infections in terms of patient health and cost to the system."
Many bacteria release chemical signals in search of their friends, and when the bugs congregate, chemicals build up. This then alerts the microbes that there are enough of them to kick off an infection. But Helen Blackwell, a University of Wisconsin, Madison, assistant professor of chemistry, thinks she's found a way to stop these bacterial social gatherings. By mimicking the chemicals that bacteria use to talk to each other, Blackwell is working on drugs to trick the microbes.
The new Disney Children’s Hospital at Florida Hospital will feature new interactive technology, advanced minimally invasive surgery, and a child-friendly design to soothe patients. Releasing new details about its design, Florida Hospital officials said that the pediatric emergency department will feature patient treatment rooms offering animation selections on the ceiling with soft lighting and music to calm children.
Nonprofit hospital systems like Roanoke, VA-based Carilion have seen their power over their regional communities increase as their incomes have surged. Critics say, however, that this is creating untaxed local healthcare monopolies that drive the costs of care higher. Nonprofits have also come under fire from patient advocates and members of Congress for stinting on charity care even as they amass large cash hoards, build new facilities, and award big paychecks to their executives.