Tag: hospital equipment

Hospital Administrators Face Cyber Data Threats

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Hospital Administrators Focus on Cyber Security Improvements for Data and Staff

As the potential pitfalls of cyber security have evolved over the years, hospital administrators have more to worry about than ever. In addition to the protection of highly sensitive medical data, hospitals also face a constant threat of data ransom and even weaponized WiFi-enabled devices.

What your hospital does now to add protections and educate employees could make the difference when a cyber attack does eventually happen.

HealthcareDive runs down the top four data threats in hospitals:

• Negligence ranging from unencrypted data to employees using shared passwords

• Internal threats including intentional harm and accidental loss of personal devices

• Internet of Things vulnerabilities, with Internet-enabled medical devices becoming a target for hackers and DDoS attacks

• Ransomware attacks wherein hackers seize control of a network and demand payment

What Can Hospitals Do to Improve Cyber Security?

IT experts and healthcare experts must look to technology to play a strong defense, while also teaching good practices to employees at all levels.

• Always use data encryption

• Establish an employee protocol for bring-your-own devices

• Practice good password hygiene with frequent changes

• Self-audit to prevent internal fraud and inappropriate access

• Vet medical devices and equipment for hacking protection

Handling Hospital Materials the Right Way

Everything hospital staff do can impact your bottom line. A hospital equipment cart mover lets nurses and janitors stay productive and efficient, with less strain and injury risk. Run a tight ship when it comes to daily tasks like material movement, and management can spend more time overseeing the strategic decisions instead.

Follow our blog for healthcare news, and read about the hospital equipment cart mover for boosting efficiency and reducing injury claims.

When Nurses Go On Strike Hospital Administrators Fear the Worst

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When Nurses Go on Strike

Does your hospital have a contingency plan in place in case of a nurses’ strike? Such an event could end up costing dearly in terms of both money and patient care.

Can You Afford to Survive a Strike?

Consider the case of Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center, which experienced a brief labor dispute in 2011. Staff nurses held a one-day strike that was followed by a five-day lockout, and for that short period the hospital spent $6 million in temporary staffing and other related costs.

You and other administrators should develop a Plan B before any contract negotiations begin, even if it appears they will be amicable. If you end up getting caught unawares by a strike, it could force your hand and result in an unsatisfactory settlement.

Planning Ahead

So how do you craft an emergency plan for work stoppages? Curt Kirschner Jr., a San Francisco-based attorney who provides legal counsel on labor issues for the American Hospital Association, suggests that you predetermine the answers to these questions:

• Should patient services be reduced? If so, how far?

• How many non-union staff members could step in on an emergency basis?

• How many patients could reasonably be released to outside options like home care?

No matter how difficult negotiations get, always take the high road regarding unionized employees. They are the public face of your hospital, and speaking ill of them ultimately does more harm than good.

Streamline Operations with Hospital Cart Moving Equipment from DJ Products

Keep hospital functions running smoothly no matter what the circumstances. Contact us to learn how our hospital cart moving equipment increases efficiency while reducing work-related injuries.

Wheel Design Is Important Element in Health, Hospitality Equipment

There’s a big difference in the amount of energy and effort it takes to push a wheeled cart across a smooth, flat linoleum floor and a floor covered in carpet. So many factors come into play, including:

  • The design, width and size of the wheel.
  • The weight of the piece of equipment being moved.
  • The depth and nap of the carpet.
  • Whether the transport area is flat or inclined or a combination of the two.

These issues and many others are seriously considered during the design of ergonomic material handling equipment for use in health care and hospitality settings that generally include carpets in some areas. Wheel design can significantly impact the amount of force it takes to maneuver a laundry, food, utility, maintenance or garbage cart or some other piece of equipment across hospital, nursing home, hotel, motel or resort floors.

DJ Products electric cart pushers feature a unique wheel design that provides optimal traction on both smooth and carpeted floors with no discernable transition issues. The ergonomic design of our motorized hospital and hospitality cart pushers removes transition issues as carts move easily from one flooring surface to the next. Changes in grade and friction are negated by ergonomic wheel design that allows smooth travel over and between surfaces. The unique 5th wheel design of our control arm allows safe 180 degree pivoting of fully-loaded carts under the arm. This feature allows workers to turn heavy loads a full 90 degrees without risk of jackknifing the care or needing to manually maneuver the front end of the cart.

The result is safer operation for hospital and hospitality workers and more versatile use of these exceptional ergonomic material handling products.

Cart Caddy Minimizes Hospital Worker Injuries

Injury occurs when the physical demands of a task exceed the physiological capabilities of a worker. In a hospital, pushing or pulling a rack of dinner trays, a portable x-ray machine or a patient bed may present minimal risk for a healthy, 25-year-old, 5′ 10″, 160-pound male. However, the same task can cause serious injury in a 50-year-old, 5′ 3″, 135-pound female.

Height, weight, age and general health all affect a worker’s physical ability to accomplish various hospital tasks. Different workers will need to exert different amounts of force to move the same piece of equipment. Injuries are most common when initiating and stopping motion. Those movements require application of the greatest amount of force, compared to the relatively low amount of force required to keep an object in motion.

Injuries are also common when maneuvering equipment around turns, up or down inclines, and into or out of tight spaces, such as elevators and next to hospital beds. No matter what a person’s body type, injury is apt to occur any time body posture is thrown off center, as when maneuvering a piece of equipment around a corner. Over-extension of the muscles in the arms, legs, shoulders, back and neck during maneuvering is another frequent cause of worker injury.

The CartCaddyLite Puller takes the physical strain out of moving hospital carts and other equipment. The smallest, most maneuverable tug on the market, the CartCaddyLite Puller is powerful enough to handle most push or pull applications, including linen carts, hospital carts, maintenance carts and hospital beds. Capable of performing fine maneuvers in tight spaces, the CartCaddyLite Puller allows any worker, no matter their size or age, to move equipment without injury.

Click here to watch a video of DJ Products’ dynamic hospital CartCaddyLite Puller in action. You’ll notice how easily the powered CartCaddy attaches to a bank of carts, allows the worker to pull it out, maneuver and then replace it.