“The concept of safety culture originated outside health care, in studies of high reliability organizations, organizations that consistently minimize adverse events despite carrying out intrinsically complex and hazardous work. High reliability organizations maintain a commitment to safety at all levels, from frontline providers to managers and executives. This commitment establishes a “culture of safety” that encompasses these key features: – …
Rehabilitation for Long-Haulers
“COVID-19 can lead to a number of lasting symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue and reduced ability to engage in activities of daily living. It became apparent that a recovery or rehabilitation programme would be necessary to support those to return to normal following infection. The European Respiratory Society taskforce identified a need for a formal assessment to understand physical and …
Medically Minded Hand Sanitizer– Nationwide Recall Expansion Due to The Presence of Undeclared Methanol
On May 25, 2021, the FDA published a recall of several lots of Medically Minded hand sanitizers due to undeclared Methanol found during lab testing. Young children who accidentally drink this product and individuals who ingest these products as an alcohol substitute are most at risk, although you could still be at risk just by using the sanitizer on your …
OIG Exclusion List
In the year of the pandemic, many of us struggled with staffing and continue to be challenged, however, it is important that we not skip important steps in the hiring process such as checking the OIG exclusion list. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has the authority to exclude individuals and entities from Federally funded health care programs for …
Hospital Triage Tools – Trauma in Elderly
“Older adults with major trauma are frequently under-triaged, increasing the risk of preventable morbidity and mortality. The aim of [a recent review published in the National Library of Medicine] was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of prehospital triage tools to identify suspected elderly trauma patients in need of specialized trauma care. Several electronic databases were searched from inception to February …
Montefiore’s CORE Clinic Helps Heal COVID-19 Survivors
Whether it’s emotional or physical, many patients who have been infected with COVID-19 are living with long-term effects from the virus. Specialized support is available to anyone experiencing long COVID symptoms at Montefiore-Einstein’s COVID-19 Recovery Clinic (CORE). “Just as physical weakness is common, so too are challenges with thinking, anxiety, fear, loneliness, difficulty coping, and difficulty sleeping,” Aluko A. Hope, …
Door Alarms
Now that we have turned the corner (hopefully) on the pandemic, it might be time to get back to the basics of ensuring our environment is safe and healthy for our residents and staff. Hopefully, we have continued to maintain an active environmental safety committee and continue to monitor/audit high-risk areas on a scheduled basis. This might include hot water …
Non-Steroidals and COVID-19
“Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide effective analgesia and are important in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In March, 2020, the French health ministry and media discussed unpublished data showing that use of NSAIDs could increase the severity of COVID-19. More recent studies have found no association between NSAID use, admission to hospital, and worse outcomes for patients with COVID-19. Studies …
Telehealth and CONNECT for Health Act
“Questions about the future of telehealth regulations have endured ever since the federal government opted to relax some of them during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The telehealth cliff is looming, casting much uncertainty and concern for the health and safety of Medicare beneficiaries, and the sustainability of our already overburdened healthcare system”, said Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the American Telemedicine …
COVID Long-Haulers – No Increased Adverse Events
An observational study explored adverse events after vaccination. Participants were invited to complete an electronic survey, capturing self-reported COVID-19 symptoms, PCR/antibody results, and Adverse Events (AEs) following first dose of BNT162b2/Pfizer vaccine. Understanding AEs associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination has public health implications, especially with regard to vaccine hesitancy. Prior to COVID-19 infection but not ongoing, Long-COVID symptoms were associated with …