Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1173622
14 INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY Montana children's hospital resumes admissions after patient fatally struck by car By Mackenzie Bean S hodair Children's Hospital resumed admissions after a weeklong pause spurred by the death of a 15-year-old patient at the Helena, Mont.-based facility, reported the Independent Record. Hospital officials said the patient tampered with the building's fire alarm, which caused the doors to unlock, allowing her to exit the mental health facility July 15. She was fatally struck by a vehicle traveling on a nearby interstate, and authorities ruled her death an accident. After the incident, Shodair Children's voluntarily suspended new admissions for one week to focus on patients' well-being, according to CEO Craig Aasved. The hospital also moved its fire alarms to nursing stations after consulting with local fire officials. "We will still meet all the codes," Mr. Aasved told the Independent Record. "We're just relocating them to where they are not so accessible to patients." n 150+ employees potentially exposed to dangerous bacteria at Seattle hospital By Anne-Marie Kommers O ne hundred and fifty-eight employees at Seattle-based Harborview Medical Center are receiving tests and treatments after potential exposure to the Brucella bac- teria, which can cause an infectious disease called brucellosis, according to local CBS affiliate KIRO 7. A patient was transferred to Harborview from another hospital in late June, and tests later showed the patient had brucellosis. A lab worker also dropped a test tube with the Brucella bacteria in it on June 25, which may have exposed other lab employees. The Harborview employees have been offered antibiotics and blood tests and informed of the symptoms, which include fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain. Brucellosis can be deadly if left untreated. The disease does not spread person to person, however, so hospital patients, other employees, and exposed employees' families are not in danger of catching it. As of July 22, employees' blood tests for Brucella bacteria have come back negative. n San Francisco hospital CEO resigns amid patient abuse scandal By Mackenzie Bean H ealth officials allege six staff members systematically abused patients at a San Francisco hospital between 2016 and 2019, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. e San Francisco Department of Public Health launched an investigation of Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in February. e city-run hospital serves as a live-in care facility for 780 patients. Health officials on June 28 said that 23 pa- tients allegedly endured physical and verbal abuse from six staff members. e investi- gation revealed staff members took inap- propriate pictures and images of the alleged patient abuse, which they sent to each other via text message. Some patients also received non-prescription drugs for sedation purpos- es, the health department said. "e San Francisco Department of Public Health and Laguna Honda Hospital have no tolerance for the mistreatment of residents," San Francisco Director of Health Grant Colfax, MD, said in a June 28 statement on the hospital's website. "In response to our findings, we have immediately taken steps to ensure patient wellness and safety." e six employees accused of the abuse have been fired, and administrators from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital are temporarily managing the hospital. Laguna Honda CEO Mivic Hirose, RN, MSN, also resigned. Maggie Rykowski, the health department's chief integrity officer and director of the Office of Compliance and Privacy Affairs, will act as interim CEO until a replacement is found. e health depart- ment also said the hospital's chief of quality management has been placed on administra- tive leave and will not return. n The investigation revealed staff members took inappropriate pictures and images of the alleged patient abuse, which they sent to each other via text message.