Hospital Employee Health – November 1, 2023

With No Annual HCW Screening, Treatment of Latent TB Imperative

The CDC dropped its labor-intensive recommendation for annual routine screening of healthcare workers for tuberculosis (TB) in 2019. However, there are multiple TB issues with which occupational health departments must contend. These include post-hire pre-placement testing, treating latent TB that could activate later in life, identifying and following up on worker exposures, and the threat of multidrug-resistant strains.

SCOTUS Race Ruling: Nurses, Physicians Appalled

The nation’s leading nursing and physician groups blasted the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that eliminates race as a factor in college and medical school admissions.

Employee Health Q&A on Current Challenges

In this Q&A, Olga Hays, interim manager of employee well-being at Sharp Healthcare in San Diego, spoke to Hospital Employee Health about wellness programs and other challenges in employee health.

Injury Claims, Accident Inquiries: ‘Freeze the Facts’

Occasionally, occupational health professionals can be involved in a legal case when there is some dispute over an employee’s injury, workers’ compensation, or a monetary settlement. From a legal perspective, “freezing the facts” as soon as possible will pay off as the case moves forward.

Occupational Health: Outbreak Investigation 101

In an outbreak situation that affects healthcare workers and patients, occupational health can strike a critical partnership with the infection control department to rapidly resolve the situation.

Current Healthcare Workers Might Face Another Pandemic

As evidence mounts indicating that climate change is driving emerging infections, healthcare workers may face another pandemic in their lifetime — possibly in their current careers.

ICU Staff Report Severe Moral Distress, But Resources Are Underused

There is growing awareness of the prevalence of moral distress in healthcare — and the costs in terms of burnout and staff turnover. However, solutions to this problem remain somewhat elusive.