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When a pandemic tests us in healthcare

Keith Carlson Medical & Allied Healthcare

Pandemics regularly challenge the global healthcare system. SARS certainly taught us some lessons, as did the H1N1 outbreak. Enter, stage left, the 2019-20 coronavirus. As this current viral threat circulates around the world — mostly via those who have recently been to the Wuhan area of China — the World Health Organization (WHO) is grappling with public relations, epidemiology, containment and quarantines, travel restrictions (and some outright bans), as well as deciding whether this is truly a pandemic or not.

CBD trend for food, beverage shows no signs of slowing, despite legality…

Bambi Majumdar Food & Beverage

The cannabidiol (CBD) industry is witnessing phenomenal growth, and this is expected to continue through 2020 and beyond. CBD oil and other topical products, which are said to relieve pain and insomnia and reduce stress and anxiety, are growing in sales, though these claims are mostly unproven. In the food and beverage space, CBD-infused coffee, brownies, cookies, and other food items are rapidly expanding. However, the absence of clear federal guidance has raised consumer safety concerns.

Airlines get serious about jet lag relief

Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

While some airlines, such as Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue, are bringing out the music and mediation amenities to help passengers get the sleep they need as they fly across time zones, United Airlines is offering its loyalty fliers a free app that empowers passengers to get ahead of their jet lag. The app recommends sleep times, caffeine intake and times for light exposure for the quickest ways to adjust to new time zones.

Transplant community offers widespread support for proposed federal rule…

Chelsea Adams Healthcare Administration

Changes to federal policies governing living organ donors have widespread support among organ procurement agencies. The changes allow living organ donors to be reimbursed for missed work and the cost of child care. "These are bold steps that are going to have an immediate and lasting impact on our ability to serve patients who are on waiting lists," Dr. Seth Karp, director of the Vanderbilt Transplant Center and surgeon-in-chief of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Modern Healthcare magazine.

What can facility managers learn from coronavirus?

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

A seemingly impossible feat of engineering, construction, and facilities management has been accomplished in the face of a global pandemic based in the People's Republic of China. The feat of modern facility creation started in late January when the Chinese government announced it would build a 1,000-bed hospital to house patients battling the Wuhan coronavirus in just six days. The actual construction time was closer to eight days, but the result was the same. The building was created using prefabricated materials to make the process move along quicker.

Red in February isn’t just for Valentine’s Day

Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied Healthcare

Heart disease is the single greatest threat to women's health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death amongst women; it's estimated that one in five will die from cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, the future doesn't need to be so bleak. The American Heart Association states that 80% of cardiac events are preventable so long as you're taking the proper steps to prevent them.

Simple, proven ways to improve your memory

Victoria Fann Medical & Allied Healthcare

The thought of losing your memory is terrifying. I've witnessed this firsthand — my mother and my two grandmothers all had dementia. In the hope that we don't fall victim to the same fate, my sisters and I have become obsessed with finding strategies to keep our memories intact. Fortunately for us, research on the brain has helped discover ways to strengthen memory capacity. Here is a brief summary of some of the research out there.

Study: Stroke during pregnancy may be increasing

Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied Healthcare

Advances in medical care and diagnostics should reduce the incidence of serious health problems and mortality rates from those events. Death rates from strokes have declined since the 1960s. This may not be the case for stroke occurring during pregnancy or within six weeks of delivery, however. A new study published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology sheds light on the incidence of acute stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) during pregnancy and the post-partum period, and suggests it is on the rise.

Healthcare cybersecurity threats continue with no end in sight

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

In 2019, healthcare organizations were the fourth most common target for ransomware attacks, according to a report released by Cylance, a BlackBerry company. Healthcare made up 7% of attacks overall, after technology (28%), consumer goods (15%) and manufacturing (11%), but the sophistication of attacks is growing more complex. A year prior, in 2018, Cylance said it saw a decline in overall ransomware attacks and an increase in malicious coin miners.

Report: Most American drinking water is contaminated with ‘forever…

Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & Environmental

U.S. drinking water is contaminated with man-made "forever chemicals" that are far greater than previously estimated. The forever chemicals are resistant to environmental breakdown and are known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), some of which are linked to cancers, liver damage, low birth weight, and other health problems. The chemicals have been discovered in drinking water at 34 previously unknown locations, according to a report released on Jan. 22 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

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