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Nurses shedding light on ugly side of the flu

Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied Healthcare

The 2017-2018 flu season is breaking all records. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that the "overall hospitalization rate is higher than the overall hospitalization rate reported during the same week of the 2014-2015 season; the most severe season in recent years." The most recent CDC report showed an additional 17 flu-related pediatric deaths, bringing the total to 53 this season with little relief in sight.

Medication-assisted treatment gets a big expansion in California

Bill Becken Medical & Allied Healthcare

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and California's Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) have recently stepped up their fight of the multimillion-dollar anti-opioid war by opening an expansive new front in the Golden State with $90 million in funds. These funds flow from the DHHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under the U.S. 21st Century Cures Act. The program is known as the Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Expansion Project.

Serve on a board to make an even greater impact as a nurse

Keith Carlson Healthcare Administration

Nurses are leaders in every sense of the word. Leadership is ingrained in nurses from the moment nursing school begins, and as nurses’ careers advance, leadership and personal authority often grow apace. How else can nurses choose positions that provide the opportunity for true servant leadership in the interest of community groups, foundations, associations, non-profits, and other organizations? By serving on boards of directors and advisory boards where a nursing voice can add inestimable value.

Will Apple’s updated Health app catch on?

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

In a tech world almost owned by Apple, the powerhouse firm recently announced what most have long suspected: It is staking a piece of its future on healthcare, and this move likely will have a ripple on patient health. Apple's newest Health app upgrade marks a major investment for the firm, and other vendors in the space are likely taking notice.

Report: Need for ambulances is expected to surge

Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied Healthcare

The need for ambulances is not a topic often covered, but it might just be worth taking notice. Pardon the pun, but the future of this industry segment suggests that it's going to be a healthy one. The value of the global ambulance service market was estimated to be worth about $22.5 billion in 2016, but that number is expected to balloon at an annual growth rate of 9.1 percent over the next 10 years.

How to maintain organizational credibility during political chaos

Terry Lynam Healthcare Administration

We live in a society dominated by mixed messages and hypersensitivity, amid ongoing volleys of "fake news" accusations. Accurate, honest communication has never been more important to maintain credibility.

Nurses at the table or nurses on the menu

Keith Carlson Medical & Allied Healthcare

There's an old saying that if you don't have a seat at the table, you'll end up on the menu, and this could not be more true of nurses and the nursing profession. When nurses are busy looking the other way, others can fill the void and make decisions for them. But when nurses demand a seat at the table, they are making a bold statement that their voices are crucial components of the conversation.

Cleveland Clinic setting the bar for green facilities

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

For more than a decade, the famed Cleveland Clinic has undertaken a systemwide sustainability drive to make the health system green and reduce its carbon footprint. Health Facilities Management magazine points out that the effort includes energy- and water-reducing strategies, energy-efficient facility design, environmentally-friendly purchasing and an aggressive recycling effort.

HHS: Draft framework is ‘significant step’ toward interoperability

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the draft Trusted Exchange Framework on Jan. 5. In a news release, HHS says the framework will be a "significant step toward achieving interoperability," which is a requirement of the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016.

Fixing healthcare: Redefine the meaning of success

Catherine Iste Healthcare Administration

From the opioid crisis to complicated billing and reimbursement structures, it seems almost every facet of healthcare has issues. Yet this mountain of problems is not insurmountable. In fact, the opportunity for the greatest impact and most positive change is something that starts on an individual level: creating better support systems for medical professionals.

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