Janine Finck-Boyle, MBA/HCA, LNHA, has never met Lynda Carter, the actress best known for playing Wonder Woman in the 1970s television series of the same name. But as a child, Finck-Boyle spent many a day — no matter the outside temperature — sporting a Wonder Woman bathing suit in recognition of her idol. “I was…
When it comes to wound care in long-term care, pressure ulcers often receive the highest priority from skilled nursing staff and administrators – often for good reason. “Pressure ulcers have significant potential for both morbidity and mortality, as well as being a high risk for litigation,” says Japa Volchok, DO, Vice President of Operations at…
Larger healthcare organizations prefer recruiting a chief information security officer (CISO) with experience in managing a data breach, according to a new report from security vendor Optiv. The report highlights the growing awareness among healthcare administrators of the importance of cybersecurity, and the fact that these vulnerabilities persist. In the first half of 2019 alone,…
In the midst of a severe nursing shortage, one Veterans Affairs Medical Center has taken a series of steps in overhauling its interview process, and with it has cut nurse turnover rates by more than half. The new system, which was first implemented more than a year ago at the VA Medical Center in Tomah,…
Too much social media use during work hours often leads to task distraction and a reduction in a nurse’s performance, finds a study of more than 460 nurses worldwide. Researchers at Hazara University in Pakistan conducted an online survey through 19 nursing Facebook groups, asking questions about nurses’ social media use, whether they became distracted…
Gary Kelso, CEO, Mission Health Services and Community Nursing Services Growing up, Mission Health Services CEO Gary Kelso recalls his mother, Cloyda, always by his side. She was the primary breadwinner for most of Kelso’s childhood after his father suffered a work accident. She spent her days as a contract negotiator for the Air Force…
Resident safety is an equal-opportunity landmine for providers. Three out of five assisted living residents affected by dementia, for example, will wander as a way of coping with their condition-related confusion and restlessness, according to the latest statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association. In addition, more than half of seniors who elope will suffer serious injury…
Two Arkansas skilled nursing facilities asked a federal court in September to declare a rule that prohibits long-term care facilities from requiring residents to sign a binding arbitration agreement as a requirement for being admitted or to continue receiving care as unlawful. The lawsuit was filed against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and…
The Louisiana Court of Appeals ruled in August that investigation records and survey citations are admissible in medical malpractice and wrongful death investigations. A Louisiana peer review law permitting juries to hear about regulatory agency surveys, deficiency statements and investigatory records in cases against healthcare providers trumped a rule excluding such evidence when the investigation…
Columbia University researchers have designed a novel robotic brace that supports the neck during its natural motion and dramatically assists ALS patients in holding their heads up and actively supporting them during a variety of range of motion tasks. Researchers say the device would help improve patients’ quality of life, not only in improving…
