Xenex Disinfection Services just raised $25 million in financing to help it address the persistent issue of hospital-acquired infections, which costs the healthcare system some $30 billion a year. The San Antonio, TX-based company develops robots that use ultraviolet lights to combat bacteria, viruses, mold and spores. Financing was led by new investors Brandon Point […]
As hospitals look to integrate the most advanced technology that will help them reduce readmission rates and improve outcomes, there is a lot to consider. Buzzwords abound, like big data and coordinated care, but what those things actually mean vary largely from one place to the next. In the immediate term, the ECRI Institute has […]
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Hospital-acquired infections and central line infections have been a significant focus within healthcare of late, with health systems undertaking myriad approaches to reduce or eliminate them, in turn bringing down costs and improving patient satisfaction and , seemingly, outcomes. But is the fear overblown? Karen Sullivan Sibert, MD a Los Angeles anesthesiologist, seems to think […]
To mark the anniversary of the Institute of Medicine’s watershed report “To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System,” the West Health Institute’s West Wire blog is running a series of interviews between its chief science and medical officer Dr. Joe Smith and IOM committee members who helped produce the report, as well as […]
Hospitals are improving their patient safety track record, particularly when it comes to reducing the pressure ulcers that can result in complications like infections and lengthened hospital stays. A report released this week by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality showed a 17 percent decline in hospital-acquired conditions from 2010 to 2013. Last year alone, […]
As the aftermath of the Ebola scare sets out across the United States, the conversation is transitioning from existential alarm to more constructive questions about America’s vulnerability to infectious diseases. It is now clear that the Dallas hospital at the epicenter of the initial crisis lacked the training needed to deal with even a single […]
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
A small district hospital in Northern California’s wine country is taking a big step to combat hospital-acquired infections and other bacteria. Sonoma Valley Hospital, overseen by the Sonoma Valley Healthcare District, recently acquired a germ-killing robot manufactured by Texas-based Xenex Disinfection Services. Its name is Lisa. From the Santa Rosa Press Democrat: “Unlike standard disinfection […]
Boston Children’s Hospital has selected three top finalists for its first “Innovation Tank,” which will doll out $30,000 to the winner. The winner will be named on Oct. 31 at the hospital’s Global Pediatric Summit and Awards, Taking on Tomorrow. The finalists include: CareAline Products, founded by Kezia and Mike Fitzgerald. The couple created CareAline […]
Today, the ongoing Ebola crisis in West Africa is turning attention to the strategies hospitals use to contain infectious diseases. How do emergency departments serve and treat highly contagious patients while keeping other patients, clinicians, and the community at large safe? Are U.S. hospitals prepared for outbreaks of highly contagious diseases? Many of the answers […]
Medizone International says it and a team of researchers may have come up with a cure for one of the most vexing issues affecting hospitals – hospital-acquired infections. With a team of American and Canadian researchers, San Francisco-based Medizone announced “excellent” mid-point results for its AsepticSure product, which has shown a “100 percent ‘cure’ rate […]
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It’s no secret that hospitals can be germ factories, but the extent of it has just been explored in a new Canadian study that found hospital elevators, of all places, harbor the most bacteria that can lead to infections. In a study published in Open Medicine, researchers at the University of Toronto found that elevator […]
Next-gen fecal transplant company Rebiotix seems to be in the midst of a rather hefty funding round. The Minnesota-based startup filed equity-raising paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission to the tune of $25 million. According to the filing, Rebiotix has raised $18 million thus far. Rebiotix was founded in 2011, and raised about $5 million then from angel investors. […]
Thermedx, a maker of “smart” surgical irrigation products, has received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for a fluid warming product that it says could help reduce risk of hypothermia. Physicians traditionally use cold surgical irrigation fluids in both inpatient and outpatient procedures, but Thermedx says the chilling liquids can triple the risk […]
Medicare has identified 761 hospitals that are in line to be penalized for high rates of infections and complications this fall. Some of these hospitals may avoid the penalties in the fall after federal officials factor into their analysis an additiona...
A quarter of the nation’s hospitals in October will receive lower Medicare payments because their rates of patient complications are higher than their peers. Federal officials released a preliminary analysis in April scoring hospitals and provisi...