The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) just announced the release of an updated version of ANSI/AAMI ST91:2021 Flexible and semi-rigid endoscope processing in health care facilities.  

The latest rollback of COVID-19 safety guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a serious risk for prolonging the pandemic, says National Nurses United (NNU), which is calling on the CDC to reverse the new guidelines.

“Regrettably, the CDC is once again responding to political pressures from those desperate to remove any safety protocols during this deadly pandemic that is still causing unacceptable numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths every day,” Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, RN, president of NNU, said in a press release.

Based on an analysis of Yelp online reviews, acts of discrimination in the hospital setting can be categorized in six recurring patterns, including acts of commission, stereotyping, and intimidation, a recently published research article found.

Earlier research has shown that discrimination based on minority patients’ race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability generates worse health outcomes. The co-authors of the recently published research article found that Yelp online reviews provide insight into discrimination in the hospital setting that cannot be gleaned from traditional healthcare performance measures such as Hospital Compare.

Mac's Safety Space

As things start to even out (at least somewhat) in the pandemic (I can’t say “subside” yet, but I am hopeful that perhaps with the onset of spring we’ll get to the point where that is an accurate descriptor), there’s something of an opportunity to look at some of the measures that have been put in place by our friends at the Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services. This week (and I can’t guarantee that this is going to be the first in series, though CMS certainly casts a very long shadow over us all), I thought we’d touch a little bit on the vaccination piece of the puzzle that (at least to me) it seems to have the greatest potential for compliance challenges.

Patient Safety Monitor Journal

It takes five years and up to seven clinicians on average to get a rare disease correctly diagnosed. It can be even more difficult if you’re a person of color, says Tammy Boyd, MPH, JD, chief policy officer of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, and Kimberly Haugstad, MBA, co-founder of Upequity and former CEO of Global Genes, a worldwide rare disease organization.

Boyd and Haugstad are on the steering committee for the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC), which was launched by the Black Women’s Health Imperative to address the “extraordinary challenges faced by rare disease patients of color.” These challenges include underrepresentation in genomewide studies and clinical research trials, as well as broader racial disparities in access to affordable care and social determinants of health. All of those challenges can worsen an already arduous process for the one in 10 Americans suffering from a rare disease.

PSMJ spoke with Boyd and Haugstad about their thoughts on race and rare disease. This Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity.

Medical Environment Update

Pete picked up a rack of specimens that needed to be delivered to the serology lab across the hall. He wore gloves because he was handling specimens, and he pushed the lab exit door open using the knob. He walked across the hallway in his PPE, and he opened the door to the serology lab to deliver the specimens. Minutes later, Angie washed her hands at the lab sink and exited the department using the same doorknob Pete used. Angie went to her locker in the hallway to get her jacket and purse.

Healthcare Life Safety Compliance

​Rhonda Collins, DNP, RN, FAAN, has served as the chief nursing officer for Vocera since January 2014. Previously, she was vice president and business manager for Fresenius Kabi USA, was responsible for the stateside launch of the company’s intravenous infusion pump, and led the American Nurse Project, elevating the voices of nurses across the country.

Dr. Collins has previous experience at Masimo Corporation as vice president of nursing and Baylor University Medical Center as vice president of women’s and children’s services. She holds a Doctor of Nursing degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and a master’s degree in nursing administration from the University of Texas.

A registered nurse for 28 years, Dr. Collins is a frequent speaker on the evolving role of nurses, the importance of communication, and how to use technology to improve clinical workflows and care team collaboration. She’s also passionate about keeping nurses safe and protected.

Healthcare Safety Leader

Be sure that your leadership has signed off on workplace violence assessments and that water management plans are being acted upon as you prepare for your next survey with The Joint Commission.

Inside Accreditation & Quality

One of the hardest parts of being a compliance officer can be keeping track of policies, procedures, logs, maintenance, equipment checks, and other documents that can mean the difference between a successful survey and a difficult plan of correction.