The Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Buffalo, NY is notifying over 500 patients that a recent endoscope procedure may have exposed them to a life-threatening illness. The news was reported by The Buffalo News last week, and continues the trend of endoscope-related issues across the US. The Buffalo VA Medical Center was cited in […]
What the Infection Risk at the Buffalo VA Can Teach Us Read More »
Purchasing and supply chain efficiencies continue to be viewed as the primary ways to drive cost savings at hospitals. This is according to the recent survey titled 2017 HealthLeaders Media Cost and Revenue Strategies: The Need for Transparency and Understanding True Costs. According to the survey, respondents aren’t seeing any signs of diminished returns from
Supply Chain Efficiencies and Process Redesign Top Survey of Cost Containment Strategies Read More »
The Joint Commission (TJC) recently released a Quick Safety update titled “Improperly Sterilized or HLD Equipment – A Growing Problem”. The release was issued in response to what TJC perceives as a growing threat to patient safety. In their analysis, they state that in 2016, 74% of immediate threat to life (ITL) declarations issued by
I visited a top academic hospital in the United States today. Working with the Chair of one of the departments, he provided an insight I hadn’t really heard of before. This addresses many of the management ideas that we have all learned about – setting priorities (as opposed to trying to do everything), the 80/20
View From the C-Suite: There’s No Money in Linens Read More »
Fujifilm Medical Systems USA recently recalled its duodenoscopes, joining the prior recall of Olympus duodenoscopes and a field correction issued to Pentax duodenoscopes. With the ever-changing hardware and cleaning instructions, many endoscopy and sterile processing professionals may find themselves wondering, “Exactly how safe are the duodenoscopes that I’m managing?” It’s a tricky question, and one
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With hospital margins being squeezed more and more every day, administrators are tasked with trying to speed up cash flow in any way possible. One hotspot for hospitals over the past several years has been to speed up their revenue cycle by focusing on improvements in the front-end, back-end and everywhere in between. The ultimate
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The short answer is – reprocessing processes are evolving, but not quickly enough. This is according to a series of recent studies Ofstead & Associates, based in Minnesota. The two studies, conducted at UPMC in Pittsburgh and another healthcare facility in the Midwest, both showed that risks of infections spread by endoscopes still exist even
How Much Have Endoscope Cleaning Practices Evolved In Recent Years? Read More »
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Boston-based, #3 ranked hospital according to US News and World Report, has successfully deployed RFID-based technology from Mobile Aspects to automate charge capture and inventory management across its procedural areas. MGH performs about 650,000 radiology examinations annually, and the Interventional Radiology (IR) department carries out around 15,500 procedures. In 2001,
How Massachusetts General Hospital Re-Captured $1 Million in Missing Revenue Read More »
The first trial accusing Olympus Corp. of wrongdoing associated with contaminated duodenoscopes in US hospitals has recently concluded. The jury ultimately decided that the Olympus duodenoscope’s design was not to blame for the death of a patient – though its lack of proper warning was determined to be partially responsible, as well as the actions
The Olympus Trial Verdict And What It Means For All Hospitals Read More »
On July 21, 2017, Fujifilm Medical Systems USA issued an Urgent Medical Device Correction and Removal notification to inform customers of a recall of its ED-530XT duodenoscopes. This voluntary recall includes the replacement of the ED-530XT forceps elevator mechanism including the O-ring seal, replacement of the distal end cap, and the provision of new Operation
Another Company Recalls Its Duodenoscopes Read More »