The pigs are sick; Swine flu reported at Michigan fair

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An familiar and unpleasant virus reared its head last week at the Oakland County Fair in Michigan, where several pigs tested positive for influenza A virus, the causative agent of swine flu.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced “shocking” findings of a workplace safety investigation into a behavioral health and substance disorder facility in Jacksonville, Fla.

Concerning results from a poll of transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) youth show that nearly one-third of respondents report not feeling safe to go to the doctor or hospital when they are sick or injured.

In its ever-increasing strategies to assert control over the accreditation survey process, the good folks at CMS have basically instructed the various accreditation organizations to cease and desist from any practices that might reflect an early warning of a survey visit.

Brush up on discharge procedures and requirements, and review communication with post-acute care (PAC) providers, CMS says, including discharges to home health care.

Get your respiratory protection program up to date and make sure it’s written and enforced, because OSHA inspectors are pressing to put those violations in a category that could mean a penalty of up to $156,259 per violation.

Jeff Salvon-Harman, MD, CPE, CPPS, vice president at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, spoke with PSMJ about how to create a team-based care model that works best for your hospital, clinic, or laboratory.

Biorisk and biosecurity management protects lab workers and the communities they work in from the unintended, or intended, release of biological agents. The importance of this cannot be overstated, given the unknowns clinical lab workers face when testing patient samples and other materials.