Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1476979
94 CMO / CARE DELIVERY Nurse leader at hospital where 7 gallons of fentanyl went missing has license reinstated By Erica Carbajal T he New Hampshire Board of Nurs- ing has reinstated the license of Amy Matthews, DNP, RN, chief nursing officer at Keene, N.H.-based Cheshire Med- ical Center, aer it was suspended amid an investigation into how more than 7 gallons of fentanyl went missing, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported June 28. Dr. Matthews had her license suspended May 26 "due to concerns regarding supervi- sion over the nurses over at Cheshire Medi- cal Center," a spokesperson for New Hamp- shire's Office of Professional Licensure and Certification told ABC affiliate WMUR in a June 6 report. e suspension came as regu- lators investigated how 583 bags of fentanyl solution went unaccounted for at the hospi- tal from September to January. At least 200 bags were allegedly stolen by a former nurse at the hospital who died unex- pectedly March 3. According to pharmacy documents cited by the Union Leader, the former nurse allegedly admitted to taking the solution and used it "as a way of coping with the stress of working during the pan- demic." Dr. Matthews was not accused of involvement in the thes. e emergency order to suspend Dr. Mat- thews' license was vacated aer a June 23 hearing. e state's board of nursing in the order said a full investigation is ongoing and could lead to "final disciplinary action." Cheshire Medical Center is "pleased by the board of nursing action," a spokesperson for the hospital told the Union Leader. e spokesperson did not comment on Dr. Mat- thews' status at the hospital. e state's board of pharmacy on June 29 is set to decide whether to suspend or revoke the hospital's pharmacy permit. n Jefferson Health boosts staffing flexibility with 'Nursing SEAL Team' By Mackenzie Bean P hiladelphia-based Jefferson Health is aiming to give nurses more flexibility with where they work through a new "Nursing SEAL Team," the health system said July 6. More than two dozen registered nurses are currently on the SEAL Team, which stands for service, excellence, advocacy and lead- ership. Participating nurses are deployed to various acute care locations based on anticipated staffing needs for medical/surgi- cal, telemetry, progressive care and intensive care units. Nurses can choose whether they'd like to work across mul- tiple divisions, states or across the system's entire footprint. At present, more than 20 percent of these nurses float across the en- tire 18-hospital system. Jefferson Health launched the ini- tiative in June and said it plans to add more positions in response to increased interest from internal and external nurses. "This innovative approach to nurse staffing is a game chang- er for Jefferson patients," Daniel Hudson, MSN, RN, vice president of nursing administration and op- erations for Jefferson Health, said in a news release. "We are build- ing this SEAL team by paying them competitively and giving them something they really desire — a different work experience on any given day." n HHS won't disclose hospitals where patients contracted COVID-19 By Molly Gamble The Biden administration will not release data on COVID-19 transmission in indi- vidual hospitals, citing "privacy concerns," Politico reported June 25. The move is supported by the American Hospital Association, which supports the reporting of COVID-19 transmission in hospitals in aggregate versus at an individ- ual level. "Reporting aggregate data is the most appropriate approach given the very low occurrence of hospital onset COVID-19," Nancy Foster, vice president of quality and patient safety for the AHA, told Politico in a statement. Patient advocates oppose keeping individual hospital data private, including Mat- thew Cortland, an immunocompromised disability rights activist. "A majority of voters want HHS to level with us – tell us how much coronavirus is spreading in the particular hospital we go to," Mr. Cortland told Politico. "But that transparency is inconvenient for the powerful hospital lobby." Health officials have debated the merits of identifying hospitals' infections since the Trump administration began collecting the information in 2020, three current and former officials told Politico. The counts are made up of patients who test pos- itive after at least 14 days in the hospital, which ensures patients didn't contract COVID-19 before admission. The counts are likely undercounts because hospitals don't report people who test positive after being discharged. n