Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1191144
15 INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY Tennessee reverses decision not to discipline nurse for fatal medication error By Mackenzie Bean T he Tennessee Department of Health on filed medical dis- cipline charges Sept. 27 against RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse at Nashville-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center who accidentally injected a 75-year-old patient with a fatal medication dose in 2017, reported e Tennessean. e publication discovered the charges aer obtaining state docu- ments through an open records request. e medical board charged Ms. Vaught with unprofessional conduct, abandoning or neglecting a patient that required her care, and failing to maintain an accurate patient record. A disciplinary hearing is scheduled for Ms. Vaught Nov. 20. Punitive actions could entail the suspension or revocation of her nursing license, along with thousands of dollars in fines. e health department's move comes about eight months aer the state investigated Ms. Vaught and decided not to pursue disciplinary measures. In early 2019, Ms. Vaught was also indicted on charges of reckless homicide and impaired adult abuse. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Health declined e Tennessean's request to comment on Ms. Vaught's case or say why the department reversed its decision. n Hospitals, physicians push back on new surgery regulations in Massachusetts By Mackenzie Bean T he Massachusetts medical board is facing push- back from hospitals and physicians regarding stricter surgical regulations in the state, reported The Boston Globe. The regulations require physicians to tell patients who will participate in surgeries before getting written con- sent. During surgery, they're expected to document every time the lead surgeon enters and leaves the operating room. The new rules also threaten stricter punishments for physicians who come to work impaired or delegate responsibilities to unlicensed team members. The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association and the Massachusetts Medical Society called on the state med- ical board Sept. 20 to delay the requirements by a year. The lobbying groups argued that the board rushed to implement the regulations, which they say are confusing and burdensome for physicians. The board declined the groups' postponement request but offered to meet to discuss the regulations. "These regulatory enhancements have been in develop- ment for three years," Candace Lapidus Sloane, MD, a pediatric dermatologist who chairs the medical board, told The Boston Globe. "I struggle to understand the motivation for second-guessing these regulatory en- hancements at this late stage." n Top 10 health technology hazards for 2020: ECRI Institute By Jackie Drees T he ECRI Institute released its Top 10 Health Tech- nology Hazards 2020 report for hospitals, medical practices and homecare providers. For the 13th annual report, ECRI Institute identified the top health technology concerns that healthcare leaders should address based on a review of ECRI Institute's incident in- vestigations, medical device testing, and public and private incident reporting databases. Here are the top 10 health technology hazards for next year, as ranked by ECRI Institute: 1. Surgical stapler misuse 2. Point-of-care ultrasound 3. Sterile processing errors in medical and dental offices 4. Central venous catheter risk in at-home hemodialysis 5. Unproven surgical robotic procedures 6. Alarm, alert and notification overload 7. Connected home healthcare security risks 8. Missing implant data and MRIs 9. Medication timing errors in EHRs 10. Loose nuts and bolts in devices n