ED Management – May 1, 2010
May 1, 2010
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Photos of shark victim underscore threat from cell phone cameras
"Good people who exercised poor judgment" recently took cell phone pictures of a shark attack victim who later died in the ED at Martin Memorial Medical Center in Stuart, FL, according to a statement released by hospital officials. Although no staff members were fired, the hospital has disciplined several ED employees for taking the cell phone pictures and has asked anyone with copies of the photos to destroy them. -
Is the new health law a good opportunity?
[Editor's note: ED Management issued an e-bulletin to readers on March 24, 2010, about health care reform's impact on EDs. We also described recent studies on the impact of health care reform in Massachusetts on ED crowding. ED Management issues such bulletins to keep readers informed of the latest developments in emergency management. If you wish to receive future ED Management bulletins, contact customer services at (800) 688-2421 or [email protected].] -
'Attitude adjustment' is key to ED success
In the face of steadily increasing volumes (13,000 between 2008 and 2009), the ED at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, MD, has improved all of its operating statistics, achieving a 'door-to-bed' time of three minutes and a door-to-doc time of 21 minutes. -
Overhaul of staff is done 'right, not fast'
Taking nearly seven months to transition from an ED staffing model of a contracted physician group to one that involved a partnership with a neighboring medical school might seem overly long, but the leadership at St. Joseph's Hospital in Buckhannon, WV, says they wanted to "do it right." That process included bringing on properly credentialed physicians, as well as doctors who would relate well with the surrounding community. -
Will longer wait times mean more ED lawsuits?
Did a patient wait a long time in your ED, and did that patient have an adverse outcome? If these two events can be linked together by a plaintiff's attorney, it could result in a successful malpractice lawsuit against your staff or your institution. -
ED Accreditation Update: Sentinel Event Alert issued on maternal deaths — ED plays important role in prevention
In a new Sentinel Event Alert, The Joint Commission focused on an issue to which ED managers are no strangers. -
ED Accreditation Update: Standard is revised for medical staff bylaws
The Joint Commission has approved revisions to Medical Staff (MS) 01.01.01, formerly known as MS.1.20. This standard, it says, "is designed to contribute to patient safety and quality of care through the support of a well-functioning, positive relationship between a hospital's medical staff and governing body." -
ED Accreditation Update: Comments sought by Joint Commission
The Joint Commission is seeking comments in two areas of concern to ED managers: candidate performance measures for inpatient and ED care of sudden cardiac arrest patients, and its revised National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) 03.07.01, which addresses medication reconciliation.