Joint Commission, CDC collaborate on ambulatory care infection prevention project
The Joint Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched an infection control project for ambulatory care facilities. ADOPT (Adaptation and Dissemination Outpatient Infection PrevenTion) brings together 12 outpatient-focused professional organizations and 10 ambulatory health care systems to evaluate current practices and develop model infection control plans and expand these best practices throughout the ambulatory health care field.
The Joint Commission states the project is in line with the growth of outpatient care. For instance, more than three-quarters of all surgeries in the U.S. are performed in outpatient settings, and each year more than 1 million cancer patients receive outpatient chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both at an outpatient facility.
“As this transition occurs, outbreaks of disease and patient notification events related to unsafe practices are increasing, demonstrating the needs for greater understanding and implementation of basic infection prevention and control guidance in these settings,” the Joint Commission states. “Providing this care under conditions that minimize or eliminate risks of health care-associated infections is critical.”
VA invests $22.3 billion in information technology upgrades
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded 21 contracts worth up to $22.3 billion for information technology infrastructure improvements, cybersecurity, and operations and network management. The awards are part of the VA’s Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation acquisition program and support the department’s MyVA transformation effort.
New Jersey hospitals collaborate to defeat C. difficile
New Jersey’s Valley Hospital and Holy Name Medical Center have teamed up to dramatically reduce the number of health care-associated Clostridium difficile infections in their area. The collaborative states that it is following a CDC-recommended infection control practice that calls on health care systems to partner not only to reduce the spread of C. difficile inside their own facilities, but also to prevent the bacterium from spreading as patients are transferred to neighboring facilities.
Dräger Evita V500 and Babylog VN500 ventilators recall expanded
Dräger Medical expanded its December 2015 recall on the Dräger Evita V500 and Babylog VN500 ventilators to include the PS500 optional power supply units used on the products. The new software installed on the units failed to correct the issue of depleting the battery, which could cause the ventilators to shut down unexpectedly and may lead to patient injury or death. Dräger Medical says it will replace all affected PS500 power supply units.
