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A facility management guide to virus protection
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsThe National Safety Council has updated its original statement from Jan. 31 on the coronavirus (COVID-19). The organization works to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes, in communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education, and advocacy, so its standing in the facility management world has a strong foundation. In its statement regarding the virus, it is urging employers to assess their risk of exposure and ensure procedures are in place to control transmission effectively. Likewise, workplace illness prevention training is imperative for all employees, the NSC adds.
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How US schools are reckoning with the coronavirus
Bambi Majumdar EducationThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has reported that 290 million students worldwide are out of school due to the coronavirus. The outbreak that emerged in China about two months ago has now claimed over 3,000 lives and infected more than 100,000 people globally. In the U.S., there are now over 500 cases confirmed, and the death toll has risen to 22. As the United States deals with the coronavirus, the big question is: How are schools planning to respond?
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US employers add 273,000 jobs; unemployment drops to 3.5%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn February, total U.S. nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 273,000 after January's growth of 225,000, while the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5% from 3.6% the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The jobless rate has been 3.5% or 3.6% since September. In February, nearly all major groups of workers had scant change in the rate of employment versus January's figures. Meanwhile, wage growth remained rather tepid.
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How technology can help to contain COVID-19 — and how it can’t
Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied HealthcareAs the world navigates the coronavirus outbreak, a few key technologically advanced tools are front and center in the fight to contain COVID-19. Digital tools like telehealth, consumer-facing AI-based chatbots and remote patient monitoring could play a key role in assisting with containing the virus and helping people who think they might have been exposed. Some experts warn that these tools are not a total solution, but they could be helpful as one part of a large, comprehensive and integrated plan.
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Podcast: Escaping reimbursement nightmares by transitioning out of network
Jarod Carter Healthcare AdministrationIn 2005, Cody Barnett left his job to open a physical therapy practice because he wanted to be able to provide the kind of care that exceeds patient expectations. For the same reason, he had the intention of structuring the practice as cash-based from the start. However, with limited access to good resources on how to make that succeed, he felt he needed to bolster his cash-pay practice by participating with the two biggest insurance carriers in his market. But after years of fighting with insurance companies, he began "plotting his escape."
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Healthcare thought leaders: Who they are, and why we need them
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareThe notion of the thought leader is not necessarily new, but the term does continue to receive a great deal of attention in these early decades of the 21st century. A thought leader is sometimes self-identified or possibly recognized by their industry as an individual with their finger on the pulse of change. In that regard, why are thought leaders important to recognize in healthcare, nursing, medicine, and related fields?
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Telepresence robots: A healthcare trend that’s surprisingly cost-effective
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareTelepresence is an important trend for healthcare in 2020. As an administrator and/or physician, you may already use it for remote applications, such as consultations with patients and specialists. But adding robotics as a facet of your telepresence strategy can be a lot easier to implement than it may seem — and a lot less expensive, too. Here are some of the technology's most exciting applications that can be used at your healthcare facility today.
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Report: Healthcare hacks continue to skyrocket
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareHealthcare data breaches continue to be a significant problem for patients and organizations. In 2019, more than 41 million patient records were breached, as per the findings of a report from Protenus and DataBreaches.net. Additionally, based on these reported findings, the number of hacks nearly tripled from the year prior when 15 million patient records were affected by breach incidents. Protenus analyzed data breach incidents disclosed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and/or the media during 2019.
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Prehabilitation: Helping patients prepare for surgery
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcarePatients often feel anxious before surgery, especially in the days leading up to the procedure, which may be spent in pre-surgery preparation. Prehabilitation (prehab) is an inexpensive program that involves using the weeks before surgery to get mentally and physically ready for their upcoming procedures. After the first prehab test in surgery inpatients in 21 hospitals across Michigan, the approach showed reductions in total medical costs related to patients' care and shorter hospital stays compared to similar patients who had surgery before the program began.
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How the coronavirus revealed China’s importance to global travel
Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementChina is essential to the global economy, and with the coronavirus bringing the country to a grinding halt, the travel industry is feeling the repercussions. The SARS epidemic in 2002-03 and the swine flu crisis in 2009 made some impacts on global tourism, but nothing like the coronavirus. Since those years, the Chinese economy has grown and established more global connections. The International Monetary Fund estimated in 2019 that China alone accounted for 39% of global economic expansion.
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