Tag Archives: hospitals

Medical Residents Need More Sleep!

I work at a health science center and deal directly with medical residents.  I update web pages for them and when I meet with them face-to-face, they are usually bright and alert.  But, it may not be the case of the majority of residents. I know from updating some of our web pages that there are rules in place to make sure residents get enough time off to rest.  I mean, they are only human, right?  Well, some seem to be superhuman, or at least think they are and that may be a problem. In 2003, the Accreditation Council for … Continue reading →

The Pre-Admission Interview

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As you approach your due date, your hospital may ask you to come in for a pre-admission interview. The pre-admission interview should be done early enough that you are not in danger of missing it (by having your baby a little early), and late enough in the pregnancy that you will be able to remember all the information you will be given. The name “interview” is a little misleading. Even though part of the interview involves the staff member asking you questions, a great deal of time is spent providing information and it may also include a tour of the … Continue reading →

Is this the Hospital or the Hilton?

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On a recent trip to visit a friend in the hospital after she had her baby, I noticed that her room had a flat screen TV mounted on the wall. I had a TV in my hospital room, but it wasn’t that nice! I began to wonder what kind of accommodations might be available at the hospitals in larger, wealthier cities. As I started looking at different birthing centers and hospitals in cities like New York City, I realized my hunch was spot on. Some centers offer amenities like concierge service, leather couches, wooden floors, spa tubs and giant flat … Continue reading →

My, How Hospitals Have Changed!

I can’t remember the last time I was in a hospital — maybe it was back in 2001, the summer that both my grandmother and grandfather passed away. If I’ve been in a hospital room since then, it’s lost in memory. But I was in a hospital room today — some very good friends of mine welcomed twins into the world. After I stopped being distracted by holding the tiny babies, I started looking around. Things certainly have changed! Probably the most impressive thing (at least to me) was the wristbands. Mom, Dad, and twins all had barcoded wristbands. This … Continue reading →

What Kind of Book Should I Take to the Hospital?

So, you’re off to the hospital and you want to pack a book to while away the hours. I’ve come up with a list of suggestions for you to make the selection process a little easier. 1. If you are having a procedure that requires any sort of incision in the area ranging from the chest to the naval, do not take a humorous book. The laughing will hurt like the dickens and it will not be worth the extra morphine they’ll have to give you. 2. If you are having a baby, you probably won’t want to take a … Continue reading →

Hospitals Go Gourmet

The quality of hospital food is legendary… legendarily BAD. But patients at the Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston, Oregon have fallen in love with the hospital food. Even after their stay at the medical center is over, patients are coming back to eat again. What makes the food at Good Shepherd Medical Center so special? Let’s take a look at some of the menu offerings: Wild salmon Local organic produce Cherry pie Lean bison Pasta primavera with fresh vegetables Everything is cooked from scratch, and the menu is packed with healthy choices. In just a year, the director of … Continue reading →

New Ways Hospitals Are Helping Overweight Patients

Did you know that 64% of Americans are overweight or obese? Sixty-four percent—that’s more than half of the country’s entire population. Knowing that, it should come as no surprise that hospitals and doctor’s offices are being forced to change the way they operate. If they didn’t, obese patients would simply not get proper health care. I will admit I really hadn’t given the subject much thought, until my firefighter/EMT brother told me about a new bariatric ambulance he has been training on. The ambulance is equipped with a wider stretcher and an additional seatbelt. In addition, it also has a … Continue reading →

Hospital Acquired Infections

If you are going into the hospital for testing or surgery, you don’t want to come out feeling worse than you did when you went in! But what’s the real chance of contracting a hospital-acquired infection? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that five or six out of every one hundred people who are admitted to a hospital end up with some kind of hospital-acquired infection. But that rate can drop by a third if appropriate measures are taken. Anything that enters the body — like an I.V. or a urinary catheter — can give infection a … Continue reading →