Patient Recall in Maryland Continues Recent Spat of Endoscope-Related Issues

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

Kaiser Permanente’s Largo Medical Center in Maryland has issued a notice to 23 patients that they should undergo testing following the use of an improperly disinfected flexible endoscope in their cases.  This recall, coupled with the recent issue at an armed forces facility in Qatar, continues to remind us of the risks that improperly reprocessed […]

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Average Hospital Leaving $22 Million On The Table

August 30, 2017 / Clinical Documentation, Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Revenue Cycle, The Business of Surgery /

A recent study by a financial analysis team at the Advisory Board concluded that the average 350-bed hospital misses $22 million in lost revenue capture opportunities per year.  With hospital margins often hovering near breakeven, that is $22 million in lost dollars that are sorely needed to shore up the bottom line. The reason hospitals

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What A Recent Outbreak in a US Military Hospital Can Teach Us

August 30, 2017 / Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

The recent revelation of a potential endoscope-related outbreak at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar reminds us once again of the risks that improperly reprocessed scopes represent to our patients.  This unfortunate episode potentially exposed 135 airmen to such diseases as HIV, hepatitis B and C and other potentially fatal bugs. The most disturbing

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Comparing Supply Tracking Technologies

August 30, 2017 / Big Data, Cath Lab, Hospital IT, Operating Rooms, Radiology, Supply Chain, The Business of Surgery /

Why Explore Supply Tracking Automation? Hospitals and health systems in the US are typically generating annual revenues in the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. Their profit margins are razor thin and getting squeezed tighter each day. Yet hospitals, and specifically their procedural areas like the ORs, Cath Labs and Interventional Radiology, are sitting

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Spotlight on New Best Practices For Scope Reprocessing

October 9, 2017 / Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety, Regulatory Compliance /

The recent issues surrounding scope-related infections continue to gather media attention.  A recent article by the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette follows the story of how UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA has managed its endoscope reprocessing since a scope-related outbreak in 2012.  In the article, UPMC points to its adoption of additional steps added to its reprocessing guidelines since

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Are You Maximizing Your Revenue Per Procedure?

August 30, 2017 / Clinical Documentation, Hospital Finance, Hospital Management, Revenue Cycle, The Business of Surgery /

In today’s healthcare environment, it’s more important than ever to maximize the revenue your hospital is receiving for each procedure. Hospitals are being squeezed from both ends – declining reimbursements and increasing supply costs for more complex medical devices. Research shows that the average 350-bed hospital is missing $22 million in revenue capture opportunities per

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Why Your Automated Endoscope Reprocessor Is Not a Documentation System

October 9, 2017 / Clinical Documentation, Infection Control, Joint Commission, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

Hospitals and healthcare providers are under increased scrutiny by The Joint Commission (TJC), the FDA, DNV and even Congress to improve the documentation practices around flexible endoscope usage. There are articles are in the media seemingly every day about how a hospital was cited, sued or otherwise put in a negative light around their endoscope

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How to Use Data to Get Lean With Medical Devices and Increase Patient Safety

August 30, 2017 / Big Data, Clinical Documentation, Cost Reduction, Hospital Finance, Hospital IT, Hospital Management, Operational Efficiency, The Business of Surgery /

We’ve all seen it (and maybe even done it ourselves) – thousands of dollars of medical devices tucked away in our desks, filing cabinets, ceilings, wherever we can find a secret space. This isn’t a practice intended to waste hospital dollars, it’s done with the best intention – patient safety. When a patient needs a

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First Olympus Superbug Trial Underway And What It Means For All Hospitals

August 30, 2017 / Hospital Management, Infection Control, Managing Endoscopes, Patient Safety /

The first trial accusing Olympus Corp. of wrongdoing associated with contaminated duodenoscopes in US hospitals is underway.  The case surrounds the death of Richard Bigler, a 57 year-old patient who underwent a scope procedure while battling pancreatic cancer in 2013.  It’s alleged that during the procedure, a tainted duodenoscope at Virginia Mason Medical Center passed

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How Your Medical Devices Can Tell You When They’re About To Expire

October 5, 2021 / Big Data, Cath Lab, Hospital IT, Operating Rooms, Operational Efficiency, Radiology, Supply Chain, The Business of Surgery /

A recent survey conducted by Cardinal Health showed that 24% of hospital staff have seen or heard of an expired product being used on a patient during a procedure (original article here). This comes as no surprise, as we have witnessed the usage of expired inventory at hospitals first-hand.  Without the proper processes and vigilance

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