NLRB further delays effective date of rights posting rule
ASHE provides brief on recent CMS maintenance memo
FDA recalls ventilators due to manufacturing issue
Joint Commission releases survey activity guide for 2012
Report: Government budget cuts hurting preparedness
NLRB further delays effective date of rights posting rule
The National Labor Relations Board further delayed until April 30 implementation of a final rule requiring employers subject to the National Labor Relations Act to post a notice informing employees of their rights under the act. The rule, which applies to most hospitals and health systems, previously had a delayed effective date of Jan. 31. The board agreed to the additional postponement of the implementation date at the request of a federal court in Washington, D.C., hearing a legal challenge regarding the rule.
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ASHE provides brief on recent CMS maintenance memo
An issue brief posted last month on the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) website provides an overview of a recent memo from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The memo clarifies that hospitals can perform preventive maintenance on noncritical equipment less often than recommended by the manufacturer under certain situations. ASHE recommends in the new issue brief that hospital facility managers review the CMS memo and regulations to make sure their facilities are in compliance. A review of the memo is important because state surveyors are being directed to look at this issue, though ASHE leaders believe many hospitals are already in compliance.
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FDA recalls ventilators due to manufacturing issue
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified health care professionals of the Class 1 recall of Respironics Inc. Trilogy 100 ventilators due to a manufacturing issue. Part of the blower that circulates air and other gases through the ventilator may move out of position and cause the device to alarm, the FDA says. Failure to respond could result in the potential for harm or death of a ventilator-dependent patient. The recall notice lists affected serial numbers.
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Joint Commission releases survey activity guide for 2012
The Joint Commission in December released its 2012 Survey Activity Guide For Health Care Organizations. The 84-page guide provides information to help an organization prepare for an accreditation on-site survey and a description of each activity that takes place during an accreditation on-site survey, including logistical needs, session objectives, suggested participants and an overview of the session.
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Report: Government budget cuts hurting preparedness
Key programs that detect and respond to bioterrorism, new disease outbreaks and natural or accidental disasters are at risk due to federal and state budget cuts, according to a 90-page report titled "Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism" by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Preparedness had been on an upward trajectory, but now some of the most elementary capabilities — including the ability to identify and contain outbreaks, provide vaccines and medications during emergencies, and treat people during mass traumas — are experiencing cuts in every state across the country," says Jeff Levi, TFAH's executive director.
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