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Pertussis, or whooping cough, was first described in the 16th century, and the causative agent was isolated in 1906. Nonetheless, pertussis remained a major cause of morbidity and mortality among ch ildren well into the 20th century.
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In March 2005, seven representatives from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) made a surprise visit to Methodist Hospital in Gary, IN. During the unannounced visit, surveyors reported an overcrowded ED with patients whose needs should have been tended to more quickly.
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Since the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) began using tracer methodology as part of its survey process, ED managers have felt the necessity to perform their own tracers in preparation for these periodic visits. In so doing, however, they have learned that tracers can become, in and of themselves, valuable tools for improving processes in the ED.
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Organ and tissue donations present an important part of the ED managers responsibilities, both in terms of patient/family communication and legal/risk management considerations, say emergency medicine experts.
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Childrens National Medical Center in Washington, DC, has had interpretation services available for patients both telephonic and live interpreters for several years.
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The ED at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston has reduced its average length of stay from 6.5 hours to six hours for all patients, and from 4.5 to four hours for nonadmitted patients, since the installation of a wireless tracking system for patients, staff, and equipment.
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New York City may have a reputation as a fast-paced metropolis where most people are too busy to give you the time of day, but the ED at Jack D. Weiler Hospital, one of three EDs in Bronxs Montefiore Medical Center, has won over patients with an approach focused on friendliness and TLC.
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With new surge capacity standards from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, EDs are finding that their preparation for any type of patient surge translates into preparation for the infectious patients specifically targeted in the new standard (IC.6.10), which says, As part of emergency management activities, the organization prepares to respond to an influx, or the risk of an influx, of infectious patients.
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Probably one of the most difficult tasks facing an ED manager is preparing a fast-moving staff for a review by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Most ED staffs thrive in an ever-changing environment and focus attention on what matters most in the next 30 minutes, certainly not the next 30, 60, or 90 days. So whats a manager to do?
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Is It Hot In Here?; Homeopathy vs Conventional Medicine; FDA Actions
