In this guest column, Dan Scungio, MT(ASCP), SLS, laboratory safety officer for multihospital system Sentara Healthcare in Virginia, and otherwise known as “Dan, the Lab Safety Man,” discusses the important issues that affect your job every day. Today he discussed emergency preparedness.
Healthcare providers often find themselves on the receiving end of verbal, emotional, or physical abuse at work. Despite making up only 10% of the workforce, healthcare workers experience 48% of nonfatal injuries due to workplace violence (WPV). While the drivers and causes of violence are...
The Joint Commission (TJC) has put out several enhancements to its survey processes in 2025. One of the most notable is TJC’s redesigned survey report, put into action in January and applicable to all healthcare organizations that TJC accredits, certifies, and verifies. The commission wrote that...
During a fire, it’s not just the flames you need to worry about. Most fire deaths are due to smoke inhalation, and inside a hospital, nursing home, or clinic, there are plenty of patients who are extra sensitive to changes in air quality. While the wildfires in Los Angeles this January were...
If there’s one thing I know for certain—you can’t allow unfettered access to roof areas and other dangerous spots (e.g., utility spaces, janitor closets, electrical rooms, IT spaces, etc.)
This is part two of our interview with Jeffrey Boord, MD, MPH, chief quality and safety officer at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Along with two other doctors, he spoke at the 2024 Institute for Healthcare Improvement Forum on ways to improve diabetes care models.
Law firm Barnes & Thornburg’s 2025 Healthcare Compliance Outlook found that the majority of healthcare professionals surveyed feel stretched thin as they navigate complex regulations and mounting cyberattacks, the rapid adoption of AI, and increased scrutiny of healthcare mergers and...
Hospitals face an ongoing battle against drug diversion, particularly with controlled substance infusions. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, with many hospitals rapidly expanding ICUs and loosening controls to prioritize patient care. However, as healthcare facilities move...
With everything going on in the world in terms of project funding—not just in healthcare, but pretty much any and every environment—I recognize that remaining optimistic can seem to be something of a fool’s errand, but for the folks responsible for ensuring the safest possible environment for...
With hurricane season starting in June and alarm bells being rung on the rise in global temperatures, it has never been more crucial for healthcare organizations to focus on their emergency preparedness and management plans. This is one area where accreditation can help, says Kurt Patton...
