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		<title>Environment of Care News</title>
		<link>http://www.jcrinc.com</link>
		<description>Blog</description>
		<language>en-us     </language>
		
		
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					<title>Safe Health Design™ workshop now available!</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2012/1/31/Safe-Health-Design™-workshop-now-available/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		JCR’s Safe Health Design Learning Academy is now offering a workshop designed exclusively for clinical leaders involved in a health care construction project. Participants collaborate with experienced architects, designers, and other clinicians to achieve safer and more effective environments for patients, staff, and visitors. The workshop is held at The Design Yard, Holland, Michigan, April 23—25, 2012. Space is limited. Apply today! http://www.jcrinc.com/SHD-Pilot-Program/.
		
				
				Subscribe to EC News!
				Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button. 
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					<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:16:29 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>JANUARY 2012 EC News Available Online</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2012/1/18/JANUARY-2012-EC-News-Available-Online/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[The January 2012 issue of Environment of Care News is now available at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jcaho/ecn. Come visit and see our new look!
This issue features the following articles:Tackling Top Challenging StandardsTips and Reminders to Support Compliance in EC, EM, and LSTest Your Standards IQNew Department of EngineeringThe Joint Commission Names George Mills DirectorEM Focus: Losing a Generator in a HurricaneConnecticut Hospital Evacuates Patients, Locates New Generator During Irene DisasterOSHA & Worker Safety: OSHA Issues Directive on Workplace ViolenceHealth Care Organizations May Be Inspected After Incidents or Complaints OccurSubscribe to EC News!Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button. ]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:32:42 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>October EC News Available Online</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/9/28/October-EC-News-Online/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		The October 2011 issue of Environment of Care News is now available at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jcaho/ecn This issue features the following articles: 
		Asked and Answered: Questions About Proper Storage
		Leveraging E-dition to Familiarize Yourself with CMS Requirements: How to Match Joint Commission Standards with the CMS Conditions of Participation
		An Environment of Care that’s Good for the Environment: How Sustainable Practices Can Improve Patient Safety and Care
		Emergency Management Focus—Preparing for the Worst: Using a Tabletop Exercise to Test an Organization's Response to a Biological Terror Attack
		
				Subscribe to EC News!
				Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues, plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:49:20 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Safe Health Design Learning Academy</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/8/25/Safe-Health-Design-Learning-Academy/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Here’s an exciting opportunity to learn more about health care design! Joint Commission Resources will be hosting the Safe Health Design Learning Academy on October 18-20, 2011, at the Herman Miller Design Yard in Holland, MI. The curriculum is specifically focused at bridging the gap between the architectural design process and the needs of hospital leaders as they strive to incorporate patient safety and quality into new health care facilities. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.jcrinc.com/SHD-Pilot-Program/
		
				
						Registration deadline is September 26, 2011, 
				so act now!
		
				
				Subscribe to EC News!
				Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2011 01:07:21 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>2011 Environment of Care Series: Fireside Chat</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/7/18/2011-Environment-of-Care-Series-Fireside-Chat/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Join George Mills for a concise, quarterly update session keeping you abreast of the latest developments, revisions, changes, modifications, and field issues affecting the physical environment. The Fireside Chat is just the thing you need to find out about the most newsworthy and late-breaking developments to effectively manage your environment of care. Be sure to catch the next one on August 17 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM Central Time!
		Click here to find out more about the Environment of Care Fireside Chat Series
		
				Subscribe to EC News!
				Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:50:47 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Engineering at Hospital Executive Briefings</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/6/30/Engineering-at-HEBs/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Join us at the 2012 Hospital Executive Briefings for a special engineering and clinical session: “He said—She said. The Complete Story of the 2011 Challenging Standards/NPSGs, Hot Topics and Changes for 2012.”
		This session will explore both the engineering and clinical perspectives of the most challenging standards and NPSGs, hot topics, and changes coming in 2012. George Mills and Pat Adamski will share their expertise in this joint presentation providing you with a well rounded discussion of the most pressing issues that your hospital faces.
		The schedule for this year’s lineup of Hospital Executive Briefings includes the following dates and locations:
		· New York, NYSeptember 9, 2011Product Code: EDU1136
		· Grapevine, TX (near Dallas)September 15, 2011Product Code: EDU1137
		· Costa Mesa, CASeptember 21, 2011Product Code: EDU1138
		· Rosemont, ILSeptember 26, 2011Product Code: EDU1139
		For more information, please see the Joint Commission Resources Web site page on the 2012 Hospital Executive Briefings: http://www.jcrinc.com/HEB/.
		Subscribe to EC News!Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:22:19 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Heat Stress</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/5/12/Heat-Stress/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		After weeks of frigid, wintry weather here in Chicago’s spring—I mean, 35- and 40-degree highs—suddenly, the temperature shot up to 92. I searched frantically through my closet for something cool to wear, found a tank top and light sweater, and headed off to work. Around one o’clock, I decided to go for a little walk. When I opened the office door, a suffocating cloud of heat and humidity enveloped me. I peeled off the light sweater. Yes, the air was perfumed with the scent of blooming crabapple trees—lovely. But as I stepped onto the blacktop, the heat intensified, surging up at me from the roasting pavement. I made it about a block before I decided to abandon the walk and just sit under one of those lovely crabapples and smell the blossoms.
		It all made me think of the heat stress article in the June Environment of Care® News. “So that’s what they mean about being ‘acclimatized’ to the heat!” I thought as I wiped my brow. “Today’s hot, all right, but maybe if I’d gotten used to it gradually over several weeks—like you’re able to do when the weather behaves as it SHOULD—I wouldn’t feel it quite so much.”
		Heat-related illnesses, from simple rashes to deadly heat-stroke can be a serious problem for anyone who has to work in hot conditions—as health care facilities workers often do.  Getting health care workers used to the heat (“acclimatizing”) is just one of the life-saving tips the article “Nobody Likes It Hot” offers. Another is drinking small amounts of fluids frequently—even when workers aren’t thirsty.
		You can read about how to recognize the symptoms of heat illness, plus more tips for preventing these dangerous conditions, in the EC News story at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jcaho/ecn/2011/00000014/00000006/art00003. In the meantime, stay cool.
		
				
				Subscribe to EC News!
				Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2011 21:09:31 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Sentinel Event Alert: Preventing Suicide in Non-Behavioral Health Care Settings</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/4/20/Sentinel-Event-Alert-Preventing-Suicide-in-Non-BHC-Settings/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Suppose this scenario happened in your hospital: A patient with an acute heart condition was on suicide watch in the medical/surgical unit. A nurse checked on him every 15 minutes. But during one of these checks, the nurse discovered the worst: the patient had hanged himself with a power cord. The cord was connected to a piece of medical equipment housed in the room.
		We used to think incidents like this only happened in behavioral health care settings. But that is not the case. Sadly, more than 14% of suicides reported to The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Database occur in non-behavioral health units. These include medical/surgical units, intensive care units (ICU), oncology units, and telemetry units. In addition, fully 8% of reported suicides occur in emergency departments (EDs).*
		We’ve learned how to design and equip psychiatric facilities to be as safe as possible for suicidal individuals. But we have yet to apply and adapt this knowledge to hospital medical/surgical units and EDs. Making these spaces safe is the focus of a recent Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert on preventing suicide in these areas. (Go to http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/SEA_46.pdf for a complete copy of Sentinel Event Alert #46.)
		The cover story in the May issue of Environment of Care News discusses this Alert. The article, “Preventing Suicide in Non-Behavioral Health Care Units,” presents environmental strategies and engineering controls that can minimize the risks of patient suicide in the ED and medical/surgical unit. The article also offers a comprehensive checklist to help hospitals assess and address suicide risks in their ED and medical/surgical units. You can read the complete story at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jcaho/ecn/2011/00000014/00000005/art00001.
		Preventing suicide in the hospital setting is everyone’s concern, and you as an environment of care professional have an important role to play in that prevention.
		* The Joint Commission: A follow-up report on preventing suicide: Focus on medical/surgical units and the emergency department. Sentinel Event Alert 46: Nov. 17, 2010.
		
				
				Subscribe to EC News! Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:47:34 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Reminder: Emergency Preparedness Conference!</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/3/29/Reminder-Emergency-Preparedness-Conference/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		What would your organization do if there were an active shooter in the building?
		That’s what happened at Johns Hopkins Hospital last September. A patient’s son pulled out a small semi-automatic handgun and shot the attending physician; then he barricaded himself in his mother’s room for more than two hours before he shot and killed his mother. Ultimately, he turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. During this episode, some parts of the hospital campus were locked down and others were evacuated. Police snipers took to the roofs, as people in surrounding buildings were ordered to find a secure location where they could shelter in place, stay away from windows, and draw the blinds.
		The responsibility for handling the Johns Hopkins shooting event fell to Harry Koffenberger, vice president of Corporate Security, and Howard S. Gwon, MS, senior director, Office of Emergency Management at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the John Hopkins University School of Medicine. Both Koffenberger and Gwon, along with Jeff Natterman, RRT, MA, JD, Risk Manager & Counsel, will be keynote speakers at The Joint Commission 2011 Emergency Preparedness Conference: "Collaboration, Continuity and Community." The conference will be held April 27–28, 2011, in Arlington, VA.
		Get rock-solid information on preparedness for emergencies like this one as well as other emergencies and disasters at the conference. It’s not too late to register! Go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Conferences-and-Seminars/2011-Annual-Emergency-Preparedness-Conference/2243/.
		And don’t forget about the pre-conference on April 26, where you can catch up on the Joint Commission emergency management standards and get information on HICS. See http://www.jcrinc.com/Conferences-and-Seminars/2011-Emergency-Management-Standards/2244/.
		To read more about the Johns Hopkins event, see the April cover story in Environment of Care® News at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jcaho/ecn/2011/00000014/00000004/art00001.
		
				Subscribe to EC News! Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:31:40 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>In Memoriam: Jerry Gervais</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/3/15/In-Memoriam-Jerry-Gervais/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		It is with great sadness that we let you know of the passing of our good friend and colleague, Jerry Gervais. Jerry died of cancer on March 5, 2011.
		Many of you knew Jerry because you heard him speak at an EC Base Camp or other Joint Commission Resources education programs. Or you talked with him by phone on the Standards Interpretation Group hotline* to get an EC or emergency management question answered. So I don’t need to tell you how generous, helpful, pleasant — and knowledgeable — Jerry was.
		Many of you have already responded to the information about Jerry posted on your Joint Commission Connect extranet site. Literally hundreds of condolence e-mails have been pouring in from all over the country. Like you, we will miss Jerry’s cheerful spirit and expert input.
		To read more about Jerry’s life and to honor his causes, go to the following Web site: http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Jerry-Gervais&lc=7154&pid=149128138&mid=4586514&locale=en-US
		
				
				*The Standards Interpretation Group hotline is staffed at 630-792-5900, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT.
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					<pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:45:52 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Hot and Cold Running Water</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/2/28/Hot-and-Cold-Running-Water/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		So I went to a retreat this weekend, and in the dorms, half the rooms were without hot water. Air temperature-wise, about a third of the rooms were broiling hot, another third freezing cold, and the rest were just right (said Baby Bear).
		In the kitchen, there was another water issue. It didn’t matter if you turned the tap marked “C” or the one marked “H.” All that came out was a scalding gush.
		OK. Taking cold showers, using an extra blanket, and burning our fingers when we washed dishes was one thing for us healthy retreat-goers. But obviously, a hospital just couldn’t have that situation. Or any of the other problems that malfunctioning utility systems could introduce—including things like spreading airborne infection, injuring patients, or otherwise compromising their safety.
		Which, of course, is where you come in. You create the inventory of utility system components. You test those components. You know where the risers are, the utility shut-off valves, the works.
		You help keep everybody comfortable, facility-wise. For which we thank you.
		
				Subscribe to EC News! Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:38:34 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Blizzard!</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/2/9/Blizzard/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		You’ve no doubt heard that we here in Chicago got utterly clobbered by a major snow storm last week. In a mere 35 hours, more than 23 inches fell. No, I don't mean fell. Howled, whirled, swirled, shrieked down. Or sideways. Whatever.
		Now, I know that some of you have experienced far worse conditions in hurricanes, earthquakes, even tornadoes. But this is the Midwest, and even though I grew up in Wisconsin—famous for its wild winter storms—I really can’t remember seeing a more intense one. Power went out. Motorists got stranded. Even Lake Shore Drive—Chicago's premiere scenic roadway—had to be closed because of the hundreds of cars stuck there. Offices, schools, colleges, universities, public buildings all shut their doors.
		And hospitals? How did all the area hospitals cope? Well, we'll be talking to them—as soon as we get dug out. : - ) 
		
				Subscribe to EC News! Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News!  Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:08:26 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Ergonomics Blog</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/1/31/Ergonomics-Blog/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		You know how when you find a cool new book or movie or Web site—or blog—you can't wait to share it with your friends? Well, have I got a blog for you!
		It's called "Hospital Ergonomics," and it's sponsored by Duke University and Duke Medicine's Occupational and Environmental Safety Office, Ergonomics Division. Recent blog topics included recommendations for bed and stretcher movers as well as solutions to modifying heavy, large glass windows in patient areas. It also offers information about the white paper on Patient Handling and Movement Assessment requirements for new design and construction in health care facilities, published by The Facility Guidelines Institute.
		You can access the blog at http://hospitalergonomics.blogspot.com
		Ties right in with our safe patient lifting article in the February issue of EC News
		
				Subscribe to EC News! Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button. 
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					<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:30:05 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Joint Commission Collaborates to Allow Varied Strategies in Establishing Maintenance Frequencies</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2011/1/20/Maintenance-Frequencies/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Let’s say that your hospital uses a defibrillator in an ambulance—and another defibrillator of the same make and model in a nursing unit. The manufacturer has created maintenance activities and frequencies to accommodate the much more equipment-destructive ambulance environment. But your hospital’s experience shows that the manufacturer’s recommendation, although appropriate for the ambulance, is excessive for the nursing unit.
		Now, thanks to the Joint Commission’s collaborative work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), your hospital can still use that experience to adjust the maintenance frequency for the device on the nursing unit.
		See the January issue of Environment of Care® News for the complete article, "CMS Accepts Alternatives to Manufacturer's Maintenance Recommendations."
		
				Subscribe to EC News!Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News! Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.
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					<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:06:09 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Using Medical Technology</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/12/20/Using-Medical-Technology/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Medical technology. We know its blessings and its challenges. Blessings: Advanced and enhanced life-saving, surgery, and recovery. Challenges: Among other things, getting users comfortable and conversant with the new machines.
		
				All this has historical precedent. When the modern and revolutionary piece of medical equipment shown in the photo was first introduced in 1965 by Joel J. Nobel, M.D., it met with the same types of reactions as today’s technology does—sheer enthusiasm—and some balking. “MAX,” as it was dubbed, was a prototype medical emergency crash cart, designed to save lives by enabling rapid medical action. It carried instruments for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other medical supplies while also functioning as a support litter for the patient. Nobel went on to found the ECRI Institute—an independent nonprofit organization that researches the best approaches to improving patient care—and is now president emeritus. His cart (dubbed “MAX”) was so ground-breaking that ECRI has donated the prototype to the Smithsonian Institute. “[Creating the cart] taught me a couple of lessons that stayed with me,” says Nobel. “How arduous it is to . . . get people to accept something new, regardless of how much better it works."
		 
		As medical technology continues to proliferate, organizations need to continue to enlist clinician and user buy-in, as well as to train users on the new equipment. “Quite frequently, the cause of a medical error is ‘use-related,’ meaning that the user did not operate the technology properly,” says Jim Keller, ECRI Institute vice president for health technology evaluation and safety.
		You can get more information about technology safety and training in the cover story of the December Environment of Care® News, “Top Hazards Research Provides Guide for EC Professionals.”   
		
				
				
		
		
		
		
				Subscribe to EC News!
		Want to get the latest in-depth coverage of environment of care issues—plus life safety and emergency management? Subscribe today to Environment of Care® News!  Just go to http://www.jcrinc.com/Periodicals/ENVIRONMENT-OF-CARE-NEWS/902/ and click on the ORDER NOW button.]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:54:59 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Q&amp;amp;A’s Clarify EC Standards</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/11/17/QA-Clarify-EC-Standards/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		So you’re getting ready to perform your triennial generator testing on your diesel-powered generators. You’ve checked the Joint Commission standards, and you know the test is for four consecutive hours and that you’re supposed to be running at least at 30% of nameplate rating. But you’re still not quite clear on one thing: what load percentages are you supposed to use for this test?
		Standards can be technical things to understand. And if you’re a newbie, even more so.  The Joint Commission writes its standards in plain English, making expectations as clear as possible. But sometimes, you just need some clarification on a particular point or for your particular situation.
		I know it always helps me to walk down the hall to Joint Commission engineering experts George Mills, Jerry Gervais, or Anne Guglielmo and say, “Hey, what does this mean?”
		Well, you can “walk down the hall” and ask them, too. First, by reading their clarifying Q&A’s—a feature EC News runs regularly. The November EC News carried this feature, and this December’s issue of EC News does, too, covering Q&A’s about plans for improvement (PFIs), when to perform a fire watch, use of electronic Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and more, providing clarification on the standards associated with them.
		And second, you can “walk down the hall” by calling these engineering experts—The Joint Commission’s Standards Interpretation Group—or “SIG” for short. Any time from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, you can pick up the phone, dial 630-792-5900, and talk to an engineering specialist.
		Got a question? Walk down the hall and get the right answer. For you.
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					<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:51:46 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Communicating During an Emergency </title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/10/28/Communicating-During-an-Emergency/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		If a disaster were to occur, the first thing most of us would likely think is, “Where are my loved ones?” The disaster might not be on the scale of the tsunami that just happened in Indonesia, and it probably wouldn’t be a volcano, either. But other disasters can and do explode here—floods, tornadoes, fires, shootings, earthquakes, and similar mass-casualty emergencies. 
		So, should a disaster strike, how would you locate your spouse, partner, son, sister, or dad amidst the chaos?     
		Health First, Inc., an integrated health system in Brevard County, Florida, recently grappled with the issue of communicating to relatives the names of patients being treated during an emergency—particularly, unidentified victims. The organization was concerned that those relatives would have to go from hospital to hospital, searching for their loved ones. 
		To address the challenge, Health First worked with the entire community to create a unique and effective communitywide photo database of disaster victims that is easily accessible to the victims’ relatives. You can read about the “Brevard Victim’s Network” in the November issue of Environment of Care® News, and perhaps find inspiration for setting up a similar helpful tool in your own community. Others, like you, need to know where their loves ones are when disaster strikes.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:04:07 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) Requirements</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/10/16/MSDS-Requirements/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		
				A nurse marks a medication time on a chart and then realizes she has made an error in the time. She sighs and reaches for the correction fluid. Twisting open the sticky lid, she winces at the smell as the lid comes loose. “Whew, that stuff is toxic!” she thinks as she swipes over her mistake. Is it toxic? If so, what should her employer be doing about it?
		There’s a lot of hazardous material in a health care environment, including glutaraldehyde, chemotherapeutic agents, ethylene oxide (ETO), and many more substances too numerous to name. But there are also consumer-type substances that might be considered somewhat hazardous—like, for example, correction fluid. Or turpentine, gasoline, or other common substances.
		So when does an item need to be included on a hazard inventory and have a material safety data sheet (MSDS) available to employees?
		Joint Commission standards state that the organization "maintains a written, current inventory of hazardous materials and waste that it uses, stores, or generates. The only materials that need to be included on the inventory are those whose handling, use, and storage are addressed by law and regulation."
		The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is one such regulating body. OSHA requires that MSDS be available to employees for potentially harmful substances handled in the workplace. An MSDS (hazard) inventory is required by all employers in order to provide information to their employees about hazardous chemicals to which they are exposed in their workplaces, as stated in the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200. A list of hazardous chemicals is available through OSHA, although this list is not all-inclusive (see 29 CFR 1910, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances).
		Well then, what about consumer products like those mentioned above? If health care employees are using these substances just like any other consumer would—not for a longer time or more frequently than a consumer—the substances do not have to be included in the MSDS inventory. However, the employer is responsible to make this determination for their workplace. The employer should assess the exposure potential of the consumer products that staff may encounter and ensure that the frequency and duration of use are not greater than that of normal consumer use.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Sat, 16 Oct 2010 08:44:49 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Violence Prevention</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/10/1/Violence-Prevention/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		A couple months ago we blogged about the new Joint Commission Sentinel Alert , issue 45, “Preventing Violence in the Health Care Setting” (see the EC News blog posted June 15, 2010).
		We promised you more information on preventing violence in your health care facility. To meet that need, Environment of Care News has now published “Preventing Violence in a Health Care Setting,” the cover story of the October 2010 EC News.   The article provides information and tips about the following:
		--Causes of violent events, including Inadequate policies and procedures regarding violence prevention
		--Targeted interventions to address violence, including pursuing environmental controls and taking extra security precautions in the emergency department
		--How to train staff in violence prevention, including how to recognize dangerous behavior and when to leave a situation
		--Plus other violence-prevention related topics
		We trust that this information will help you be part of the effort to curb the rising violence in our health care facilities.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:57:57 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Identification Badge Requirements</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/9/16/Identification-Badge-Requirements/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		It’s a busy day at the hospital. People are coming and going in a rush past the reception desk. So nobody notices the furtive-looking woman slip past the desk and take a quick turn into pediatrics. Not until about a half hour later, when suddenly a "code pink" is called—the organization’s alarm for an infant abduction. The abductor is apprehended and the infant safely returned. But guess what? It was that same individual who slipped past the desk without getting the hospital’s required ID badge for visitors.
		Joint Commission standards require that the organization identifies individuals entering its facilities—precisely to help prevent incidents like this. And other scenarios that an ID badge might help prevent quickly come to mind: construction workers who might stray into restricted areas, temp workers who might pilfer from pharmaceutical supplies, and more.
		The standards don’t dictate exactly who has to have ID. It’s up to the organization to decide. The organization is expected to determine who requires identification and how the process is implemented. But once the organization sets its policy, the Joint Commission will expect that organization to comply with its own policy.
		For example, if the policy requires all staff to wear ID badges, then all staff (including staff physicians) would need to comply. Photo IDs, name on badges (first, last, both, one or the other, and so on) may be necessary as some states have specific standards. Be sure to check with your local authorities for additional guidance.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2010 08:11:44 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Preparedness for Hazardous Materials Spills</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/9/1/Preparedness-for-Hazardous-Materials-Spills/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Sometimes while I’m driving home on the interstate that runs within a mile of my house, I’ll see these dark, murky-looking semis barreling along. If there were a Darth Vader of trucking, they would be it. And I wonder: what’s in those things? Some kind of toxic waste? Hazardous chemicals? Nothing good, that’s for sure.
		And then I think the next ugly thought. What if one of those things careened off the road or into the concrete median and split wide open? What kind of toxic cloud would be released? And how long would it take to float over to my house? And what would I do?
		Well, that’s the kind of thinking and planning that health care organizations need to engage in, on a bigger scale, as part of their Emergency Operations Plan. They need to look around and see what’s nearby that could be a possible source of contamination. Are there factories? What kinds of hazardous materials could they spill or release? How about major highways (like near me) or train lines. What gets shipped on them? What about nuclear reactors, chemical plants, airports—and so on.
		
				Environment of Care® News has just published an article called “Poison in the Air: Preparing for an External Hazmat Spill or Release” that can help in preparation. It’s the cover story of the September issue, and it discusses preparedness strategies and offers resource suggestions. One great resource is a spill preparedness guidebook used by fire fighters, police, and other emergency services personnel to quickly identify the dangers of and first responses to a host of specific hazardous substances. Click here to read the article.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:37:37 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Preventing Falls—New Resource Available</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/8/11/Preventing-Falls—New-Resource-Available/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		A fall for an elderly or severely ill or weakened patient can be deadly. Fall prevention is an implicit part of EC.02.01.01, which calls for organizations to manage safety risks in the environment. The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal 9, requirement NPSG.09.02.01, also guides organizations’ fall prevention efforts. 
		To empower patients and help organizations reduce falls, The Joint Commission has undertaken a national education campaign devoted to fall prevention, through its Speak Up™ program. 
		The Speak Up materials indicate that, among others, the following are common causes of falls: • Slippery or wet floors or stairs • Obstructed pathways • Darkness
		These are certainly issues that every facility manager, whatever the setting, should be concerned with. Facility managers, safety officers, and others should be ever watchful for environmental conditions such as these which can contribute to falls. 
		Individuals can also take their own precautions to help prevent falls. Among the strategies the Speak Up materials present to the public are the following: • Taking extra precautions in the hospital or nursing home, for example, people in health care facilities should use the call button to ask for help to get out of bed or go to the bathroom, wear non-slip socks, lower the height of the bed and bed rails, and tell the nurse or doctor if medicine is making them feel dizzy or sick.• Taking extra precautions in the home—simple actions such as turning on the lights when entering a room, keeping walkways clear, using handrails on stairs, and wearing proper shoes can make a difference. • Making small changes to the home—using motion sensors or timers for lights, placing nightlights in bedrooms and bathrooms, removing throw rugs, and applying non-slip decals on stairs and in bathtubs to reduce the risk of falls. Home care agencies, personal care and support agencies, or community programs may be available to help individuals accomplish these tasks if they are older or disabled.
		
				Organizations and patients can download the new brochure here.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:01:49 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Using Fans in Patient Care and Other Areas</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/7/14/Using-Fans-in-Patient-Care-and-Other-Areas/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		It’s summer, and the heat is on—pretty much across the nation. Temps topping 92 here in the Midwest. Which doesn’t seem like much to you folks on the East Coast, who’ve been frying at triple digits. And those of you in the South and the Southwest just live with this all the time. 
		And sometimes it seems like the A/C just isn’t cranking quite enough. So—can you plug in that good ol’ fan in patient care areas, laboratories, and other support areas? 
		Sure—you can. The Joint Commission standards don’t prohibit it. Fans can help keep patients comfortable—especially those with respiratory distress or post cardiac surgery. 
		But seriously. If you’re finding that you need to use fans, you ought to check out whether you’ve got a temperature control or ventilation problem. Because that could affect equipment, patient testing results, and overall patient care. Ventilation and temp control problems usually arise after you add equipment or change the space use without increasing the ventilation and/or the space size. 
		You’ll want to perform an assessment to determine the need for the fan. Consider risks pertinent to patient needs and the ventilation and/or temperature concerns for equipment, airborne particles/contamination that may affect patient care, cultures or equipment operation, and possible tripping hazard(s) created by cords.
		Then everybody will be cool.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:30:10 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>New Sentinel Event Alert on Preventing Violence in Health Care</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/6/18/New-Sentinel-Event-Alert-on-Preventing-Violence-in-Health-Care/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		You know the facts. Violence doesn’t stay in the streets anymore. All too often it walks right into the health care facility. Or already lives there.
		Aware of this, The Joint Commission has just issued Sentinel Event Alert, issue 45, "Preventing Violence in the Health Care Setting."
		Violence and crime represent a serious security threat to both patients and staff, and security can be a challenge because many organizations, such as hospitals, must be open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The problem of violence can take many forms--one patient assaulting another, visitors attacking patients or staff, patients lashing out at staff, or staff assailing or abusing patients. The new Alert discusses the roots of this problem and the ways in which organizations can present and address it.
		You’ll find features in EC News on preventing violence in health care, including the following recent articles:
		
				
						"The Violence Tracer: A Behavioral Health Care Requirement That Can Also Benefit Other Settings"
				(March 2010)
		
				
						"Preventing Violence in the Emergency Department"
				(October 2009)
		
				
						"Preventing Workplace Violence: Tips for Safety"
				(June 2008)
		
				EC News is committed to providing you more help and information on this topic in the future. Watch for it.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Sat, 19 Jun 2010 05:21:35 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>E-books Are Here!</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/6/10/E-books-Are-Here/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Need the latest Environment of Care® book right now? Eager to search online for key words to find what you need? Want to save money on shipping?
		The answer for you is e-books. For the first time, JCR’s popular environment of care titles are now also available as e-books.
		E-books are PDF files that are identical to the print copy versions, but without all the shipping and the paper consumption. The e-books are specially priced and available for immediate download.  E-books are also searchable, making it easier to locate specific topics and key words that are important to you.
		Here are just a few of the environment of care titles you can order as e-books: 
		
				2010 Environment of Care Essentials for Health Care, http://www.jcrinc.com/e-books/EBECE10/2085/
				Emergency Management in Health Care, http://www.jcrinc.com/e-books/EBEMPHC08/2035/
				The Environment of Care Handbook, Third Edition, http://www.jcrinc.com/e-books/EBECH09/2034/
		
		E-books also cover other important accreditation and performance improvement topics. For more information about e-books, click here http://www.jcrinc.com/e-Books-Home/
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:07:37 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Communities Collaborate in EM Planning</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/5/26/Communities-Collaborate-in-EM-Planning/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		In a disaster, hospitals and other health care organizations often cannot operate as independent entities. There are too many ways in which they must rely on common resources in the state, city, and community—and on each other.
		In Central Indiana, hospitals, community health centers, and other medical, public health, and emergency response organizations have formed a special partnership. Called “MESH,” for Managed Emergency Surge for Healthcare, its primary mission is to expand the collective surge capacity of health care organizations in Central Indiana through collaboration.
		The MESH coalition has successfully engaged the senior leadership of these organizations in a common planning process. These leaders identified shared risks and developed standardized training and exercise programs that prepared all the organizations to work together during an emergency.
		It’s an excellent model of one way to meet Joint Commission standards calling for a collaborative approach to disaster planning.
		Read all about it in the June 2010 issue of Environment of Care® News.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Wed, 26 May 2010 09:38:44 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Nurses and the EC</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/5/15/Nurses-and-the-EC/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Did you know there are 3.1 million registered nurses in the United States? That’s a lot of care—and a lot of interaction with the care environment.
		Think about it. Who are many of the end users of medical equipment? Who handles hazardous materials like chemo drugs and sharps? Who’d probably be the first to notice if an isolation room air flow became reversed? Who has to know how to respond if there’s a fire in a patient room—or an emergency demands patient evacuation—or there’s an infant abduction?
		If your answer to all the above was “nurses”—you’re right.
		Nurses, you might say, live in the care environment. It’s their home away from home, and like any good homeowner, they’re concerned with making sure that everything is kept running smoothly and in tip-top shape. They know and care if an exit light is out, if there’s a door that doesn’t latch properly, or if the floor covering represents a tripping hazard.
		They care about the care environment—as well as the patients in it.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Sat, 15 May 2010 08:24:29 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>EC Toolbox</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/5/5/EC-Toolbox/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		How many times have you started creating a grid to help you track something in your facility and thought, “If only I had a sample to get me going!”
		Well, now you do.
		Contained in the new Environment of Care® Toolbox: Forms, Tools, and Checklists are a wealth of forms—and grids and checklists and spreadsheets—that you can adapt to your organization. That’s right—since the tools are all in electronic format on a CD, you can enter your own information, create new categories, delete others—whatever you need to do to make the tool your own.
		No more starting from scratch. No more reinventing the wheel. Whether it’s an HVA or a security risk assessment or a fire drill log, the forms and tools you can use can now be at your fingertips. The CD offers tools from each of the six EC areas, plus emergency management. Take a look at http://www.jcrinc.com/Books-and-E-books/The-Environment-of-Care-Toolbox-Forms-Tools-and-Checklists/1950/. And simplify your life.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Thu, 06 May 2010 04:53:44 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Pediatric Design: Smart Parent Book</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/4/26/Pediatric-Design-Smart-Parent-Book/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources recently co-authored with Jennifer Trachtenberg, M.D. The Smart Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Kids Through Illnesses, Accidents, and Checkups: Expert Answers to the Questions Parents Ask Most. RealAge, a health company that features interactive online health and wellness quizzes and advice, also contributed to the book. The Smart Parent’s Guide gives parents valuable health care information and reveals “insider” recommendations about how to protect their child’s health, whether in the emergency department, pediatric unit, or doctor’s office, or at the pharmacy or at home. The book was published by Free Press, a division of Simon and Schuster.
		Smart parents can take care of their children’s health in yet another way—by choosing a health care facility that’s designed with kids in mind. Hospitals that take their child patients seriously do more than provide booster chairs. They start from the ground floor up, designing spaces that children find pleasing; providing comfortable, in-room sleeping accommodations for the family; and offering art, music, and animal therapy as appropriate. In case you haven’t already, check out the article "Six Facility Design Strategies Shared by Top Children’s Hospitals" in the March issue of Environment of Care® News to learn more. Just click here to get the whole story.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:42:57 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Wireless Interference</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/4/19/Wireless-Interference/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Wireless devices. You know how they’re multiplying in your health care setting. And you probably have some idea of the demand they’re placing on your clinical infrastructure. But hopefully, you don’t know from experience the results of wireless interference. 
		Wireless interference can wreak havoc with medical equipment. It may result in incorrect diagnosis or treatment, and even patient injury. Not only that, but problems can occur with the IT network itself as a result of devices with conflicting network requirements. 
		The cure? Take a multidisciplinary risk management approach. Coordinate the implementation of wireless technologies, whether your hospital uses stand-alone medical, cellular, or IT networks. You can read tips on how to do this in the May issue of Environment of Care® News, in the article “A Proactive, Strategic Approach to Preventing Wireless Interference.” Just click here to get the whole story.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:35:30 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Memory Prompts</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/4/7/Memory-Prompts/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		We all have a lot to remember these days. Personal details like logins, passwords, birthday and anniversary dates, cell phone, land line, and fax numbers—sometimes the myriad details are mindboggling.
		And work is no exception. Whatever your job, there are so many facts and figures to keep track of. And some of them are a lot more crucial than others. 
		That’s why Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital uses memory prompts to help health care workers memorize the essentials of fire response. SYVCH uses the two popular memory prompts “R.A.C.E.” and “P. A.S.S.”. The first, R.A.C.E., describes the general actions to be taken when fire danger is detected: Rescue patient Activate Alarm Contain Smoke/Fire Evacuate
		The second memory prompt, P.A.S.S., describes the proper use of a fire extinguisher: Pull the pin Aim at the base of the fire Squeeze the handle Sweep from side to side 
		If you haven’t already, you can read the entire story of SYVCH’s fire drill training in the April 2010 issue of Environment of Care® News.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:31:16 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Temporary Barriers</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/3/29/Temporary-Barriers/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Let’s say you have a construction project getting underway, and you’re thinking about how to protect this area from fire. Do plastic sheets constitute acceptable temporary fire barriers in and around construction areas?
		According to Joint Commission life safety experts, the answer is no. Flammable plastic sheets do not constitute acceptable temporary barriers in and around construction areas. Even though flammable plastic sheets taped across an opening may form a dust seal, they are completely incapable of controlling fire. The only thing they can do is keep air from moving around and control dust and its associated infection control implications.
		Standard LS.01.02.01, Element of Performance (EP) 7, states that temporary construction partitions should be "smoke-tight, or made of noncombustible or limited-combustible materials that will not contribute to the development or spread of fire."
		Be sure that you can furnish evidence of "limited combustibility" if you are questioned during survey.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:18:45 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Haiti EM Rescue Team</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/3/22/Haiti-EM-Rescue-Team/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		The earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, shattered foundations, toppled buildings, killed tens of thousands, and tore the earth asunder. A team of 27 doctors, nurses, and emergency specialists from The Mount Sinai Medical Center and other New York City hospitals arrived in Port au Prince eight days later and applied their emergency management and medical experience to deal with broken bones, amputations gone bad, and an astounding range of other injuries—all under often primitive and sometimes dangerous conditions.
		The team credits their years of drills and planning for emergency preparedness in a hospital setting with their onsite success in activating an incident command structure and organizing the relief operation quickly and efficiently.
		You can read the entire exciting story in the April 2010 issue of Environment of Care® News, and hear team members speak at the 2010 Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference: Emergency Preparedness Compliance 2010, April 8-9, 2010, in Washington, DC.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:25:56 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Management Plans</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/3/13/Management-Plans/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		More and more of you are working in health care organizations that offer several types of care. For example, your organization may encompass hospital and long term care settings. Or maybe it’s hospital and behavioral health care. Or maybe it’s hospital, long term care, and behavioral health care. 
		Whatever the mix, here’s the question: When you sit down to write your EC management plans, does each management plan have to specifically address each of these settings? 
		Well, according to Joint Commission EC experts, the answer is yes. You have to address all of the settings in all of the plans. But there are two ways you could do this: 
		1) write one batch of plans to cover all settings, or
		2) write a unique batch of plans for each specific setting.
		Either approach is OK. There will be specific and unique issues that must be addressed regardless of method. 
		Of course, remoteness could complicate attempts to write a common plan. Separate facilities might be better served with independent plans.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:36:15 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Controlled Areas</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/3/2/Controlled-Areas/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		What constitutes a sensitive area in a health care facility—one that should be controlled by keys, key card access, or some other method?


		The Joint Commission doesn’t specify or recommend to organizations which areas should be designated as sensitive. Instead, it’s up to the organization to decide that. How does an organization decide? By performing a proactive risk assessment that evaluates the impact external forces could have on the areas in question, say Joint Commission EC experts.


		Based on this risk assessment, the organization will take the steps to designate an area as sensitive and decide what would constitute appropriate access control for that area. Whether the method of access control is the use of keys, key cards, or some other technique is up to the organization. The only stipulation is that the method of access control not conflict with the Life Safety Code®* (NFPA 101-2000).


		* Life Safety Code is a registered trademark of the National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA.
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:44:21 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Illinois Earthquake</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/2/23/Illinois-Earthquake/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		So I was sleeping peacefully in my bedroom in the western suburbs of Chicago when, suddenly, a loud grinding noise shook the whole house. I popped awake. The cats bolted off the bed. It sounded—and felt—like a very large truck had hit the building. What was that? my semi-conscious mind demanded. And another part of my brain answered with certainty: That was an earthquake.
		And so it was. An earthquake—out there in the middle of some of the flattest, most seemingly stable land in the country. As they say, Whodathunk? 
		Now, our puny little 3.8 earthquake was nothing compared to what Haiti experienced. Or California. But you never know. Things could rattle loose and fall, even in a “small” quake. 
		And it just goes to underscore the message of last week’s blog: Include the most likely disasters in your HVA. But don’t forget the others.
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					<pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:43:53 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Snow</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/2/12/Snow/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Snow. My Wisconsin-bred memories of it include howling all-nighters, driving pellets lashing our faces as we exited school early, and after the storm, towering mounds at street corners—so high you had to tie a red rag on your car antenna so other drivers could see you. Here in Chicago, folks talk about the blizzard of ’67, when the city virtually shut down and people were stranded—or trudged home from the Loop all the way to the ’burbs on miles of snow-packed silent streets.
		But none of this really begins to compare with what the people of Washington DC and the whole eastern seaboard have just experienced as twin snow storms dumped—and dumped again—shutting down even the government for four days in a row.
		And the hospitals? I’m sure that every emergency management planner had included in their Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) all the disasters likely to hit their area. But a snowstorm? Of this proportion?
		It just underlines the need to include in your HVA the likely disasters, yes. But don’t forget the less likely ones—especially those that might fall into that “escalating disaster” category. Emergency preparedness means being ready for those, too.
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					<pubDate>Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:06:09 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Haiti Earthquake</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2010/1/25/Haiti-Earthquake/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		A hospital collapsed. That was one of the first news reports I heard about the recent 7.0 Haiti earthquake. A hospital—the one place people depend on and flock to for safety and care during such devastation. A hospital—full of patients already sick or injured, many of whom could not seek their own protection. 
		Most of the hospitals and health care facilities in the continental U.S. are still standing and hopefully will not face such utter destruction. But there is still the ever-present danger of having our internal systems collapse—of having electricity shut down, plumbing systems fail, medical equipment go awry—whether because of natural or man-made disaster. We must be ever ready. 
		We extend our sincerest sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones, homes, livelihoods, and land in the disastrous earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti. We wish you strength and speed in your recovery efforts, and keep you and all the Haitian people in our thoughts and prayers.
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					<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:29:57 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Med Waste Manifest</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/10/30/Med-Waste-Manifest/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Not too long ago the river near my house was pretty much declared a toxic waste cleanup site. For months, workers in hazmat suits used huge cranes and earth movers to tear apart the river banks in the spots where the thorium had collected. It will take years before that pretty little stream looks the same again; maybe never till it’s really safe.
		They pinned the waste pollution on a nationwide manufacturer that had been dumping into the river. Fortunately, no medical waste stream was involved. No hospitals or health care organizations were indicted.
		Do you know where your medical waste goes? Of course you do. But check those manifests. And hang onto them. How long? See the Joint Commission FAQ at http://www.jointcommission.org/AccreditationPrograms/Hospitals/Standards/09_FAQs/EC/Maintaining+Medical+Waste+Manifests.htm.
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					<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:31:40 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Security: Infant/Child Abduction</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/9/30/Security-Child-Abduction/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		
				
						Last weekend, I was driving down the tollway here in Illinois when I passed the illuminated overhead sign. “WARNING: CHILD ABDUCTION” it flashed in big orange letters. "Watch for late model gold Cadillac, license plate IL 5-8-etc." 
Child—and infant—abduction strikes a chill to the heart of every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, family friend, neighbor—pretty much everyone, really. The latest statistics on child abduction, according to the United States Justice Department, reveal that, on average, 2,185 children under the age of 18 were reported missing each day of the study year. That adds up to more than 797,500 children annually.What if one of those children had been abducted from your health care facility? There are reasons we designate some areas—like pediatrics, labor and delivery, maternity, nursery, neonatal, and even neonatal intensive care units—as "security sensitive." There are reasons we run drills for “Code Pink” (or whatever color or code you’ve designated for an actual or attempted infant or child abduction). The reasons are as simple as a child’s smile.
				
		
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					<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:55:57 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Community Nonparticipation</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/9/10/Community-Nonparticipation/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		We all know how essential it is that the community participates with you in emergency planning and in developing your emergency operations plan (EOP). Getting the local health department, law enforcement, fire department, city officials, and others in synch with your organization can make things run more smoothly if and when a disaster hits you all. That’s why The Joint Commission requires community involvement as part of its emergency management standards.   But what if these folks drag their feet about working with you? Or just plain can’t? Or won’t? Then what?   Well, save all the communication you’ve had with them, whether it’s e-mails, letters, or meeting minutes. That way, you’ll be able to show the Joint Commission surveyor that you’ve tried.   But it’s still so important to actually get these folks on board. Maybe you could consider having an administrator talk with the mayor or other official to explain how critical it is that you each support each other for the good of all. And, if you’re an allied program (like ambulatory or home care), you may have better luck if you team up with the local hospital.   To see a detailed explanation of how the Joint Commission suggests you handle a situation of nonparticipation, go to this FAQ page on the Joint Commission Web site.   What are you doing to work with your community in emergency planning? Send us your ideas and experiences!
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					<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:36:15 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>96-Hour Requirement</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/8/20/96-Hour-Requirement/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[We get a lot of questions regarding the “96-hour requirement” in emergency preparedness. People are confused about what this means. Do you have to actually have a 96-hour drill? Do you have to actually have on site all the supplies and resources you’d need to keep going for 96 hours?Well, the answer to both these questions is “No.”To get a detailed explanation of what the Joint Commission does require, go to the FAQ on the Joint Commission Web site.What are you doing to prepare for a potential 96 hours? Send us your ideas and experiences!]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:36:01 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Social Media, The Joint Commission</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/8/3/Social-Media-The-Joint-Commission/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[Guess what? The Joint Commission is on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. So you can now follow the Joint Commission using social media. Check out the latest news!Twitter:http://twitter.com/JCommissionFacebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Joint-Commission/104533371063You Tube:http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJointCommission  What was the most helpful thing you learned about the Joint Commission from these social media sites? Drop us a line! And just a reminder—did you see the article in the August issue of EC News on social media use in an emergency? Subscribers can read it here (user name and password needed); others can purchase the article there, too.]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:19:48 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Using Social Media</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/7/21/Using-Social-Media/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Hey—have you ever thought about using social media to communicate during an emergency? You know—Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. Those.   Well, one organization did during last spring’s Red River flooding in Fargo. Other modes of communication were pretty much down, so they got the word out via Twitter. Check it out in the August EC News cover story here.   If you’re currently using social media in some way at your hospital or other health care organization, we’d love to hear about it. Drop us a line!]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:39:39 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Defibrillators Classified as Life Support</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/7/9/Defibrillators-Classified-as-Life-Support/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[The Joint Commission has just classified defibrillators as "life support" equipment. I think that’s a good idea, don’t you?   Defibrillators save lives. You could consider them the first line of defense in a Code Blue/cardiac arrest situation.   So—what if the defib the health care provider grabs is the one that fails? Then it wouldn’t matter if the life support equipment down the road is all cool and functional. There might be no life left to save.   You can read all about this decision here in a new FAQ from The Joint Commission Web site.]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:48:06 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Steam Sterilization</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/6/30/Steam-Sterilization/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[The Joint Commission has just issued a statement about steam sterilization of medical instruments. In a nutshell, the statement says that the Joint Commission will focus on “a complete and effective process of sterilization.” You can read the entire statement here.What does this mean to you as a facilities and engineering professional?"Maintainers and users have to make sure they’re talking to each other," says George Mills, M.B.A., F.A.S.H.E., C.E.M., C.H.F.M., C.H.S.P., senior engineer, Standards Interpretation Group, The Joint Commission.Mills gives the example of a well-run facility, where the maintenance staff and the central sterile supply staff get together regularly—maybe over coffee and donuts. "Suppose that the users—who work first shift—have noticed that the loads are coming out of the sterilizer a little wet. Meanwhile, the maintainers—who work third shift—have the sterilizer set and maintained to all its specs. If these people are talking on a regular basis, the supply people can say, ‘Hey! The load’s a little wet!’ And the maintainers can adjust it right away—before there’s a bigger problem."So keep talking—and you’ll keep it clean!]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:30:14 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>HVAC—air filtering: something in the air</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/6/18/HVAC—air-filtering-something-in-the-air/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		When I was a kid, I had horrible allergies. All my dad had to do was get out the lawnmower and I’d start sneezing. Later in the season, the ragweed would reduce me to an eye-itchy miserable mess. Fortunately, I outgrew those incapacitating sniffly sneezies.
		Folks in hospitals don’t.
		What I mean is that seriously ill individuals can be especially sensitive to any foreign substances in the air, whether it’s your ordinary pollen allergens, or the more exotic molds and spores floating on the breeze. And dust? Well, forget dust. That can actually kill very sick people. It’s just one more thing their weakened immune systems have to fight off—and sometimes, they can’t.
		Which is why your facility’s HVAC and air filtration system is so important. And your pre-construction risk assessment—where you figure out how to keep that construction dust out of the HVAC system and the building in general.
		So keep that air clean—and save lives.
		
				
						News flash!
				Read about the Joint Commission’s newly issued stance on steam sterilization at http://www.jointcommission.org/Library/WhatsNew/
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					<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:27:07 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Q&amp;amp;A</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/6/13/Q-A/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		You’re down to the wire. The boss is coming around to check on your EC compliance tomorrow. You’ve got everything under control—except—wait! Does The Joint Commission want you to lock that soiled utility room? 
		Who do you call? 
		The Joint Commission’s very own experts—the Standards Interpretation Group—or “SIG” for short. That’s who. Any time between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, you can pick up the phone, dial 630-792-5900, and talk to an engineering specialist to get your question answered. You know—those same folks I mentioned in last week’s blog—George, Jerry, and John. 
		Or maybe you have a question about whether everyone who enters the facility needs an identification badge. Or what to do about patient-owned medical equipment. Or exactly when and how a “tabletop” emergency exercise would be acceptable. 
		Some questions get asked over and over again, so SIG develops written answers and posts them on The Joint Commission Web site as “frequently asked questions—FAQs.” Go to http://www.jointcommission.org/Standards/FAQs/ and search under your particular setting—hospital, ambulatory care, and so on. 
		You’ll also find FAQs as a regular feature in Environment of Care® News. Check out your current June issue, page 8. FYI—we’ve collected enough of them to make a whole CD-ROM, which just came out this month (for more information, see http://www.jcrinc.com/Books-and-E-books/Environment-of-Care-Questions-and-Answers-Second-Edition/1703/). Engineers answer everything from soup to nuts to fire system hardware. 
		By the way, the answer to the utility room question is this: NO, the Joint Commission does not require these rooms to be locked. But TJC does suggest that you do a risk assessment to decide whether your organization should lock them. You can read the whole answer at http://www.jointcommission.org/AccreditationPrograms/Hospitals/Standards/09_FAQs/EC/Locking_Soiled_Utility.htm. 
		Got a question? Call in and get the right answer. 
		
		
]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:15:13 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Inside Advocates</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/6/4/Inside-Advocates/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[EC engineers George Mills, Jerry Gervais, and John Maurer are always hard at work for you and your environment of care. I know, because every day, I watch them stride past my office, deep in discussion of some EC Standard interpretation, figuring out ways to make things better for the health care environment. Officially, they’re the engineering members of the Joint Commission’s “Standards Interpretation Group.”   You could call them your inside advocacy team.   Their latest efforts resulted in a successful clarification of the fire watch required by Life Safety Standard LS.01.02.01, EP 1—an issue they hammered out with other specialists in the field. “We know this has been a question in people’s minds,” says Mills, who’s the senior engineer in this group of EC experts. “It took pulling the team together, then making several phone calls to other strategic authorities to finalize the definition.”   The requirement is that organizations have a special fire watch any time a fire alarm system or sprinkler system is out of service for more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period. But what should you do during scheduled outages? And just what does “out of service” mean? For instance, if you put a shield over just one smoke detector during construction to keep the dust from triggering false fire alarms, is that enough to warrant a fire watch?   The clarification, to be published in the July issue of Environment of Care News®*, explains exactly when a fire watch is required and how to handle scheduled outages. It also defines the phrase “out of service” in a handy checklist.   “This clarification will help make health care facilities more fire safe,” says Mills. “And it will streamline the fire watch process.”  In today’s complex world, streamlining sounds good. Inside advocacy at work! Let us know how we can be advocates for you. *The fire watch clarification is also published in the June issue of Joint Commission Perspectives®. ]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:31:12 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Pandemic Preparedness</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/5/6/Pandemic-Preparedness/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		Jokes about the three little piggies abound, but swine flu, or A(H1N1) as it’s technically called, is no laughing matter. 
		In a recent editorial http://www.jcrinc.com/Pandemic-Preparedness, Barbara M. Soule, RN, MPA, CIC, Practice Leader, Infection Prevention and Control, Joint Commission Resources/Joint Commission International, reminds us of the possibility of a pandemic flu outbreak. 
		But helpful JCR information is already available—including articles originally published in EC News: 
		
				
						http://www.jcrinc.com/common/pdfs/qualityandsafety/pandemic_flu_preparedness_OSHA_guidelines.pdf
				
				The July 2007 article "Pandemic Flu Preparedness" warns that an influenza pandemic could have “the potential to affect between 15% and 35% of the U.S. population. The result most likely would be increased hospitalizations.... (Meltzer et al: EID 1999;5:659–71, as quoted in "Presentation on Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza" by Dr. Rashmi Chugh, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Officer, DuPage County Health Department, Wheaton, IL, Nov. 16, 2006). 
		
				
						http://www.jcrinc.com/common/pdfs/qualityandsafety/preparing_for_a_pandemic_brevard_county_FL.pdf
				
				The hospitals of the Health First system in Brevard County, Florida, have had a pandemic flu preparedness plan for some time. You can read how they used their knowledge of previous emergency situations to create an effective flu plan—one that included community partners and arranged for proper staffing—in the January 2008 EM case study, "Preparing for a Pandemic". 
		
				
						http://www.jcrinc.com/common/pdfs/qualityandsafety/pandemic_preparedness_best_practices.pdf
				
				Other best practice case studies include the VHA—the nation’s largest integrated health care system, and Northwest Community Healthcare, Chicago—a community-sized system, in the May 2007 article "Pandemic Preparedness: Best Practice Case Studies". 
		
				
						http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jcaho/ecn/2004/00000007/00000007/art00001
				
				And let’s not forget about the experience of Toronto hospitals, which had to deal with an actual historical outbreak—the SARS epidemic. 
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					<pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2009 05:40:03 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Supplies for an Emergency: Do you have them?</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/3/18/Supplies-for-an-Emergency/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[A couple weeks ago it hit 25 below here in Chicago. Real temp. Not including wind chill. And my water pipes froze.   Thank heaven they didn’t burst, but as I sat and waited for the midnight plumber, I started thinking. OK—water—do I have any anywhere? I checked the teakettle. Empty. I checked the plant pitcher. Nada. The cats’ water jug—oh, please. I hoped I wouldn’t have to get that desperate.    Then I remembered I had a couple gallons left over from last summer’s camping trips. I raided one immediately.   It all brought home the point we preach continually here at EC News: You’ve got to be prepared for an emergency.  At home, yes; in the health care organization, for sure.   Your organization needs to think about emergency supplies—of medications, medical basics, personal protective equipment, water, food, sanitary products. As Jerry Gervais pointed out in the March article “Function 2: Resources and Assets,” even toilet paper becomes a precious commodity if you’ve been stranded in the hospital or other health care facility for several days. Your organization needs to establish relationships with suppliers, determine whether and what to stockpile, and work with other organizations to share resources.   So, yes. I will go out and stock up on packaged foods, candles, matches, white gas for the camp stove, and the like.   How about your health care organization?   Sincerely,   Kristine Miller Executive Editor, Environment of Care® News]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:33:47 GMT</pubDate>
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					<title>Welcome!</title> 
					<link>http://www.jcrinc.com/Blog/2009/3/5/Welcome/</link> 
					<description><![CDATA[
		
		My name is Kristine Miller. Like many of you, I’ve worked the engineering niche in a clinical world for quite some time, as editor of Environment of Care® News since its inception in 1998. Sometimes it used to seem like we were the distant cousins in a medical family.   But fortunately, it’s becoming even more apparent to clinicians and health care administrators alike that a high-quality, high-functioning physical environment is essential to delivering high-quality patient-centric health care. And the fact that The Joint Commission has now added two new facility- and safety-related chapters—“Life Safety” and “Emergency Management”—underscores this awareness.   Everyone knows the vital importance of those who monitor and maintain the fire alarms, keep the temperature constant in the OR, make sure the building is cool in summer and comfy in winter, keep the Legionella out of the water supply and the mold out of the air ducts, and make sure the facility is secure in an emergency.   So hats off to you—plant engineers, facility and construction managers, safety officers, emergency and disaster planners, biomedical engineers, security professionals, and all the rest of you dedicated to providing safe health care space. Environment of Care® News is for you. I look forward to communicating with you through this new blog—and to hearing from you soon.   Sincerely,   Kristine Miller Executive Editor, Environment of Care® News]]></description> 
					<pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:59:34 GMT</pubDate>
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