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In an effort to reduce readmissions, University Hospital in Newark, NJ, partnered with the Visiting Nurses Association Health Group and developed a program that uses intensive case management to reduce readmissions for patients with multiple chronic conditions.
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By improving processes within the hospital and collaborating with post-acute providers in the community, Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport, PA, decreased its 30-day readmission rate for all patients by 15.9% in a one-year period.
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Nine hospitals in southern Texas have joined with the area's Agency on the Aging and formed the Rio Grande Valley Readmission Coalition to follow at-risk patients after they are discharged from the hospital in an effort to prevent readmissions.
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In the last two issues, we discussed some of the topics related to health care reform that are of greatest interest to case management professionals. This month's Case Management Insider continues this discussion with a look at patient satisfaction, mortality measures, and the new efficiency of care measure.
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The pilot testing version of the CMS survey includes the following elements on hospital employee health:
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The basic premise of worker safety is to provide layers of protection. If each layer is sufficiently flawed, the protection is compromised. That is the lesson of a recent Health Hazard Evaluation in an Arizona hospital, where 18 employees had a TB skin test conversion in 2011 and one employee developed active tuberculosis.
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Failing to keep your exposure control plan up to date could lead to a citation from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
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As the lines blur between patient safety and worker safety, employee health professionals can expect much more scrutiny from regulators who traditionally focused on patient care.
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Sharps injuries rank eighth in the top 10 device hazards of 2012, according to ECRI Institute, a research organization and evidence-based practice center based in Plymouth Meeting, PA. That places sharps injuries on par with surgical fires (No. 7) and anesthesia hazards due to incomplete pre-use inspection (No. 9).
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Gaps in your respiratory protection program can create unnecessary hazards for your employees. A survey of hospitals in California and the Midwest has revealed those weaknesses. For example, health care workers often receive minimal training and are confused about which respirator to use for aerosol-generating procedures.
