IMDA eNews 081623
The latest news affecting you and your customers…
from the Independent Medical Specialty Dealers Association
Heat-related illness to be monitored nationwide
A new information system to map emergency medical services (EMS) responses to heat-related illness across the country has been launched by the Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reports The Hill. In addition to showing state and county-level heat-related EMS activations, the dashboard breaks down patient characteristics by age, race, gender and urbanicity so officials can see which populations experience heat-related health risks most severely. According to the agencies, the tracker also provides national-level information on the number of heat-related EMS activations and the number of heat-related deaths among patients who were alive when medical officials arrived on the scene.
Be prepared for respiratory season: Health officials
State and local health officials across the United States are bracing for a rise in respiratory illnesses this fall, reports CNN. Local health departments will work with their state and federal counterparts to encourage eligible people to get their flu shots, updated Covid-19 boosters and RSV vaccines, Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, was quoted as saying. On a national scale, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also is preparing for the threat of respiratory illnesses this fall.
Guide to reprocessing reusable medical devices
Failure to appropriately clean, disinfect or sterilize reusable medical devices is a top-cited challenge for many Joint Commission–accredited healthcare organizations, and in some cases leads to an immediate threat to health or safety. The newly released Joint Commission Guide to Reprocessing Reusable Medical Devices provides step-by-step guidance on the sterilization of medical devices used in critical applications and on the high-level disinfection of heat-sensitive flexible endoscopes and ultrasound probes that encounter mucous membranes and nonintact skin. The guide also emphasizes the importance of understanding the Spaulding classification system, following manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs), and resolving any discrepancies among IFUs of medical device and reprocessing equipment manufacturers.
Remote monitoring program for RUSH in Chicago
New York-based Cadence and Rush University System for Health (RUSH) in Chicago will launch a remote monitoring and responsive virtual care program for Medicare and Medicaid patients in the Chicago area. Patients will have access to Cadence’s program and its nurse-practitioner-led care team. Cadence collects, analyzes and responds to patients’ vitals in real-time, and supports patients at home with medications, labs, and coaching.
Dee Donatelli receives supply chain award
Dee Donatelli, senior director of spend at software provider Symplr (and past IMDA speaker), is the 2023 recipient of the George R. Gossett Leadership Award of the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM). The Leadership Award is AHRMM’s highest honor and is given to an individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary level of leadership and professionalism in the field, made significant contributions to AHRMM and advanced the healthcare supply chain. It is presented in memory of George R. Gossett, an early president of AHRMM. Donatelli and Barbara Strain tag-teamed on a seminar on value analysis and the supply chain at the 2022 IMDA/HIRA Conference in Chicago.
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