The Joint Commission’s new zero-tolerance standard for handwashing is proving to be the end of the line for many facilities who have long accepted the flawed compliance standard perpetuated by the misinformation of observation-only monitoring. This dramatic change calls on the “owner” of the handwashing accountability to step forward. “Who is it?” is the focal […]
Handwashing: Overcoming The E-Monitoring Myth
Who owns healthcare handwashing? All caregivers care. All wash their hands. Their patients or residents are important to them or they would not work in this challenging field. This doesn’t mean that they meet the standards of care each and every moment of every shift. Drifting off the path of handwashing policy happens easily because […]
The Joint Commission’s New No-Nonsense Handwashing Policy
Providers pay the price for dishonest compliance reporting Handwashing For Life® serves as an Ambassador for The Joint Commission’s Targeted Solutions Tool®. Behavior change and the shared goal of sustainable handwashing compliance brought the two organizations together. This new surveyor standard of zero-tolerance is a multiplier for measurement, in keeping with the overarching standard of […]
Handwash Compliance: The “Ugly Baby”
Foodservice Foodservice operators in most cases are rightfully proud of their customer care. After all, they likely see their operation as a finely tuned network of policies and procedures focused on their customers. It is a human behavior to love what we create. This fosters further operational enthusiasm but can dangerously conceal important realities and […]
Handwashing: “Can’t Measure? Can’t Fix!”
Dr. Landon’s Prescription On Handwashing Dr. Emily Landon, pioneer in handwash monitoring, is the Executive Medical Director of Infection Control and Prevention at the 633 bed University of Chicago Medical Center. She is Board Certified with a specialty in Infectious Disease and has a passion for saving lives through enhanced hand hygiene. Emily’s original work […]
Handwashing for Life Olympics: Battle at Waterloo
Pathogens met their Waterloo as more than 400 culinary professionals staged a two-day pursuit of the latest advances in nutrition and food safety. The annual campaign is sponsored by Martin Brothers, a regional distributor focused on the culinary needs of hospitals and nursing homes. The location was the Waterloo Convention Center, celebrating the famous five […]
When 99.99% Isn’t Enough
Hand sanitizer is everywhere these days; there are modern looking spheres in hospitals and restaurants, they come in foam and gel and, especially at Bath and Body Works, they come in a plethora of scents. Everywhere you turn there is hand sanitizer, which is usually good for killing germs and bacteria on your hands, 99.99% […]
Verifying Caregiver Handwashing In Behavioral Health & Memory Care
No wall dispensers. No problem. Care areas without wall-hung alcohol hand sanitizer dispensers often escape the rigors of many RTLS and standalone hand hygiene monitoring systems. BioVigil has developed a product whereby hand sanitizer can be carried in the pocket of a caregiver and hand hygiene performance and compliance will still be monitored. The caregiver […]
Wow! Auto-Remind Caregivers On C. Diff Handwashing
C. diff concerns led one hospital to a coaching system that automatically reminds the wearer of its badge to “wash” with the appropriate protocol. Moving from a general population room where alcohol hand sanitizer is the standard to a C. diff room can easily result in a caregiver’s temporary lapse of memory and the inappropriate […]
Understanding The Legal Principle of “Readily Available”
Malpractice handwashing is on the horizon This little-known “Readily Available” legal principle awakens Risk Management interest in electronically verified handwashing. Here Russel Nassof, founder of RiskNomics explains: Immersion into the topic of hand hygiene to reduce operational risk continues to fill industry meeting agendas. The suspicions of the past have now been confirmed by so […]
