The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) is alerting clinicians about the possibility of seeing patients with progressive, severe pulmonary disease related to the use of e-cigarettes or “vaping.” As of August 27, at least 215 possible cases in 25 states have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One death has been reported in Illinois. These pulmonary injuries are particularly seen among adolescents and young adults. Patients are experiencing respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath and fatigue, and symptoms typically worsen over a period of days or weeks before admission to the hospital. Other symptoms reported by some patients included fever, anorexia, pleuritic chest pain, nausea and diarrhea. Chest radiographs show bilaterial opacities, typically in the lower lobes, and CT imaging of the chest show diffuse ground-glass opacities, often with subpleural sparing. Evaluation for infectious etiologies was negative in all patients. Some...

KHA recently received a letter from a company called Widelity which is acting on behalf of the Kentucky Educational Television (KET) system. KET, along with other television stations around the state, is beginning the process of changing the frequencies they broadcast on across the commonwealth, and there is a chance that depending on what your facility is using for wireless devices associated with patient care monitoring and remote operation of equipment, the change in frequencies could potentially create interference if they are within 70 miles of a transmitter.

While the information KHA has received from Widelity seems to indicate that something may have been sent directly to hospitals, it is not clear who in your organization may have received it. It also looks like a commercial solicitation; therefore, it may have been ignored, misdirected or discarded.

Due to the amount of wireless technology that has become part of the patient care system, the risk management exposure...

On May 16, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a request for information on ways to lower drug prices and reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers.

While the AHA appreciates the Administration's focus on the issue of unsustainable drug prices, which threaten patient access to care, the focus on the 340B program as part of a plan to lower drug prices is misplaced. A number of the questions raised by HHS suggest that the 340B program might contribute to higher drug prices. However, it is drug manufacturers,...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, H.R. 1, was released and is being debated this week in the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. There is a significant problem for the Kentucky not-for-profit hospitals included in the bill. The proposal would eliminate the tax-exemption for private-activity bonds (PABs), including qualified 501(c)(3) hospital bonds and advance refunding bonds. The ability to obtain tax-exempt financing is a key benefit of hospital tax-exemption that works to make access to vital hospital services available in communities large and small across the commonwealth.

These bonds play a critical role in helping not-for-profit hospitals and health systems access low-cost capital, enabling them to keep infrastructure expenditures low so they can efficiently fulfill their mission and focus on the work they do for the public good. Tax-exempt bonds reduce hospitals’ borrowing costs because they normally can be sold at a lower rate of interest than taxable debt of comparable risk and maturity....

From AHA: A new and evolving cyberattack using a variant of Ransomware has hit businesses in Ukraine, India, France, Russia and Spain. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) informed AHA that some U.S. hospitals and a pharmaceutical company also have been attacked. At this time, there is no definitive assessment about the source of the cyberattack. HHS is advising vigilance and following general cyber hygiene practices, such as ensuring that all your systems’ patches and anti-virus definitions are up to date. AHA is closely monitoring the situation and will update members as more information becomes available.

For more on the developing attack, make sure to check US-CERT, ...

The Connecticut Hospital Association shared the following incident with the Kentucky Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (KIPSQ), KHA’s Patient Safety Organization, for distribution to its members in the hopes that it will prevent a harm event in hospitals.

On May 16, Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut, announced that during a daily safety huddle (begun as part of the hospital’s participation in their statewide high reliability collaborative), it had identified an issue regarding the use of insulin pens — devices intended to make insulin injections more efficient and accurate. They consist of a cartridge and needles. While needles were never reused, a few staff used the cartridges for more than one patient. Despite changing the needles, there is still slight risk of blood contamination of the pen reservoir or cartridge, which could result in transmission of blood-borne pathogens from the previous patient.

Griffin has used the insulin pens for several years and has identified approximately...