dailyheraldchicago--2019-06-17--How Good Samaritan Hospitals new operating room opens surgical possibilities

How Good Samaritan Hospital's new operating room opens surgical possibilities

When doctors choose which way to perform common heart surgeries, they're typically stuck with that route -- largely because of location.  Operating rooms where doctors perform minimally invasive procedures, maybe using a catheter inserted in the leg or groin to travel through the blood vessels and access the heart, often don't have the X-ray and ultrasound imaging technology or the anesthesia required to change course and perform a full open-heart surgery if the need arises.  But that's no longer an issue at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.  The hospital on Monday plans to perform its first surgery inside a new Hybrid Cardiovascular Operating Room designed to provide the technology and space for doctors to use the best type of surgery for each patient.  "We can actually have the surgeons and the cardiologists working together in the same room," said Dr. Peter Kerwin, a cardiologist and medical director of the cardiac catheterization lab. "And we have all options open to us, up to and including open-heart surgery."  The new space, double the size of a typical operating room, allows all surgical options because it incorporates an X-ray machine and an ultrasound with images displayed on a large screen.  "That's important because we need to be able to see everything," Kerwin said.  Doctors can use real-time images to guide precision procedures, such as mitral valve repair or aortic valve replacement. Surgeons also can use the assistance of an anesthesiologist, equipped with all of the medications needed for moderate "twilight" or full sedation.  "It allows us to move into this new area in cardiology," Kerwin said.  Four doctors and up to six nurses or other medical experts will work as a team to conduct each surgery in the new space, into which the hospital invested several years of planning, several rounds of simulations and millions of dollars, President Nancy Tinsley said.  Dr. Mahesh Raju, a cardiologist and medical director of endovascular services, said the new operating room will decrease the time it takes to perform procedures and make the experience safer for patients.  Using a hybrid approach between open-heart surgery and catheter insertion in the leg or groin, doctors can make an incision much closer to the heart -- in the neck, for example -- to decrease potential complications.  "When you have a shortcut, your risk goes down," Raju said. And so does time in the hospital and recovery time at home.  The new hybrid operating room is part of the Advocate Heart Institute at Good Samaritan Hospital, which includes an outpatient clinic, diagnostics, inpatient and surgical units, and an advanced heart failure treatment area -- nearly all in one place near the hospital's main entrance.  The new facility adds to the hospital's "extremely comprehensive" list of cardiovascular services, Tinsley said. "We consider ourselves the complex care provider in the community," she said. "No matter what your cardiac symptom is, we're your one-stop shop."  And it follows the hospital's history of advances in cardiac care, Kerwin said.  In 1987, Good Samaritan became the first recorded community hospital to treat heart attacks with clot-dissolving medications, he said. Previously, only research hospitals had tried this method.  And in 2002, Kerwin said, Good Samaritan became one of the first in the nation to address heart attacks by following a now-standard "cardiac alert process" that involves coordinating with paramedics to bring patients directly to a catheterization lab where they can get immediate help.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-07-26--Lake Forest named a Most Beautiful Hospital

Lake Forest named a 'Most Beautiful Hospital'

LAKE FOREST -- Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital has been ranked 10th on Soliant's 10th annual Top 20 Most Beautiful Hospitals awards.  Supporters from across the country nominated and voted for facilities that recognized nurturing staff, comforting aesthetics, and innovative designs as key elements of beauty which contribute to the overall well-being of patients.  The hospital, which opened in 2018, provides patients with convenient access to world-class physicians and seamless access to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the No. 1 ranked hospital in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report. With all of the latest advancements, including recently receiving the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification, the hospital has kept its commitment to respecting the environment while providing world-class care in a community setting. The hospital was designed for physicians and staff to take advantage of the resources of an integrated academic health system. For example, video conferencing for staff and real-time video sharing in the operating rooms are available to enhance collaboration and care for patients.  With more than 8.5 million total votes cast for the 96 hospitals nominated, Lake Forest Hospital emerged as one of the top 20 facilities recognized by supporters on Soliant's annual list.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-07-30--Suburban facilities make US News Top Hospitals list

Suburban facilities make U.S. News' Top Hospitals list

Several suburban hospitals were named among the best in the Chicago region in U.S. News and World Report's 30th Annual 2019-20 Best Hospitals Rankings, which was released Tuesday.  NorthShore University HealthSystem-Metro Chicago in Evanston, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage in Winfield, Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge, Advocate Good Samaritan in Downers Grove, and Edward Hospital in Naperville all made the national magazine's Top 10 list of best regional hospitals.  U.S. News, in a statement, said the annual report evaluated nearly every community hospital in America. A total of 165 hospitals out of more than 4,500 were nationally ranked in one specialty, while 569 were ranked among the Best Regional Hospitals in a state or metro area based on its overall performance. The only Chicago-area hospital to rank nationally was Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, which came in 10th nationally and first in the region.  U.S. News said it updated its methodology this year to emphasize patient outcomes, patient experience and enhanced risk adjustment, which accounts for differences in patient populations and is designed to not penalize hospitals that treat sicker patients. The patient experience and outcome measures focus on how often patients go directly home from the hospital, as opposed to transitioning to a nursing home or institutional care setting.  "The new model provides a more comprehensive assessment that is useful to patients, families and their medical professionals," said Ben Harder, U.S. News managing editor and chief of health analysis.  In addition to the overall rankings, U.S. News ranks the facilities on 12 data-driven specialty rankings, which cover cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology. Most of the Top 10 hospitals also received rankings in one or more of those specialties.  Tuesday, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare President and CEO Dean M. Harrison praised the group's performance in the study, noting in addition to the hospitals in the Top 10 list, Delnor Hospital in Geneva and McHenry Hospital in McHenry were ranked in the Top 20.  "While these rankings are assigned to individual hospitals, this recognition reflects the relentless commitment, dedication and expertise of Northwestern Medicine's physicians, nurses and staff across our health system who partner to provide our patients with world-class care each and every day while working to advance medicine and find tomorrow's treatments," Harrison said.  Other suburban hospitals received rankings in the specialty categories. Information on those hospitals can be found at https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-09-20--Nurses hold 1-day strike at University of Chicago hospital

CHICAGO -- Nurses at University of Chicago Medical Center are holding a one-day strike following what they call a breakdown of contract negotiations between their union and the hospital.  The walkout began Friday morning, with nurses marching and chanting outside the hospital.  The 618-bed hospital prepared for a walkout by the about 2,200 nurses by diverting ambulances and moving patients. Although the nurses say the strike will last one day, hospital officials have told the nurses to stay away until Wednesday because temporary nurses have been contracted.  The hospital's President Sharon O'Keefe has said the medical center was "disheartened that we had to get to this point."  The nurses have been without a contract since April. They're seeking lower nurse-to-patient ratios and say they're being forced to work overtime.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-09-22--Northwest Community Hospital announces vision for cancer center

Northwest Community Hospital officials are seeking to build a dedicated center for cancer treatment.  Hospital leaders announced the vision for the cancer center Saturday night during a gala at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center that celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Arlington Heights hospital's opening in 1959.  Few concrete details were available about the concept.  Many options are available, a hospital spokeswoman said.  If a cancer center is built, it won't be on the main Northwest Community Hospital campus at 800 W. Central Road. There isn't enough open space there for such a facility.  Stephen Scogna, hospital president and CEO, said the organization intends to spend the next year developing a program to expand its cancer care, including creating a cancer center.  It'll be the mission of the philanthropic NCH Foundation to raise funds over the next few years for the project.  Proceeds from Saturday night's gala, estimated to be more than $1 million, will go toward the foundation's cancer vision campaign.  The Northwest Community campus has a 509-bed hospital and other health amenities.  The company also has doctor's offices, immediate care centers, labs and other facilities throughout the Northwest suburbs.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-12-03--Amita Behavioral Health Hospital in Hoffman Estates to expand

Hoffman Estates officials have approved construction of a $6 million addition to the Amita Health Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, an expansion intended to relieve congestion in the building without increasing the number of beds.  The addition at the northwest corner of the hospital, 1650 Moon Lake Blvd., will be three stories and 14,673 square feet.  This expansion will include clinical space, consultation rooms, group rooms, offices, work rooms, a break room and new restrooms on each floor.  The 141-bed facility is the 10th largest behavioral health hospital in the U.S., offering specialized services for mental health problems and recovery from substance abuse.  The building has operated under its current use for the past 20 years, with earlier expansions approved in 2003 and 2005.  Originally approved as HCA Woodland Hospital in the late 1980s, the building and its adjacent medical center have undergone a number of ownership changes since.  Construction of the addition is estimated to take 11 months from the time it begins. The village board's approval on Monday is contingent on a building permit being issued within the next year.  The approval also requires the submitting of plans for modifications to the hospital's stormwater detention basin before a building permit is issued. Completion of those modifications will be required before the issue of a certificate of occupancy for the addition.  Plans include additional landscaping around the new wing and within the current outdoor healing garden, which will become smaller due to the building expansion. A variety of trees, shrubs and perennials will be incorporated into the existing landscaping.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-12-04--$52 million rehab hospital proposed for Libertyville

A hospital dedicated to physical rehabilitation for patients recovering from strokes and other conditions is being proposed in Libertyville.  Encompass Health Corp., a national company based in Birmingham, Alabama, wants to build a $52.2 million facility at American Way Drive and Winchester Road on the village's far northwest side.  The 61,490-square-foot hospital would be built on nearly 9 acres between Route 45 and American Way, north of Winchester Road. Encompass, formerly known as Health South, operates 133 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals across the country, including Van Matre Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Rockford.  The Libertyville site would be Encompass' second rehabilitation hospital in Illinois. It is seeking approvals for a 60-bed hospital with the ability to expand to 80 beds for patients recovering from strokes, neurological disorders, brain and spinal cord injuries, amputations or complex orthopedic conditions.  All rooms would be private. Services would include physical, occupational and speech therapies, as well as 24-hour nursing care. It also would feature a large therapy gym, cafeteria, dining room, pharmacy, courtyard and advanced rehab technologies.  "The proposed rehabilitation hospital has a unique focus, and we understand it will attract a broad range of customers from south Cook County to McHenry County," said Heather Rowe, Libertyville's economic development coordinator.  The property is in a general commercial district. Encompass is seeking a special use permit and other approvals to build the hospital at the location.  Libertyville's advisory plan commission is scheduled to review the proposal at 7 p.m. Monday, at the village hall, 118 W. Cook Ave.  According to Encompass, the state health planning region that covers Lake, McHenry and Kane counties has the lowest number of inpatient rehab beds in Illinois.  There have been no inpatient rehab beds in Lake County since Vista Medical Center West in Waukegan closed it 25-bed program in late 2017, according to the company.  Encompass says there is a proven need for at least 66 inpatient rehab beds in the region, Residents needing such services now must travel either to congested urban areas or Wisconsin.  The facility is expected to employ about 90 physicians, nurses, therapists and others the first year of operations and up to 165 by the fifth year.  Encompass started the process in July with an application for a certificate of need from the Illinois Health Facilities & Services Review Board. The proposal drew nearly two dozen letters of support from local, county and state politicians, doctors and others.  Among them was Libertyville Mayor Terry Weppler, who noted in a letter to the state board that Advocate Condell Medical Center has a Level 1 trauma center but the closest inpatient rehab center is more than 40 miles away.  "It would provide a much needed service to our residents and the surrounding communities as such a hospital does not exist in this region," Weppler wrote.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-12-17--Five suburban hospitals make Leapfrog's list of nation's best

Five suburban-based hospitals were among eight in Illinois recognized Tuesday as Top Hospitals in 2019 by the Leapfrog Group.  The national nonprofit watchdog organization released its annual list, recognizing 120 hospitals nationwide for maintaining the highest quality standards identified through Leapfrog's annual Hospital Safety Grade Survey. The organization conducts two surveys in the spring and fall, which rate hospitals on a letter grade based on practices focusing on patient care and safety. The Top Hospital designation is based on the surveys' results, with less than 6% of eligible facilities receiving the honor, according to Leapfrog.  Amita Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook and Amita Health Adventist Medical Center GlenOaks in Glendale Heights were recognized as top general hospitals. Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, and Rush Oak Park Hospital in Oak Park were recognized as top teaching hospitals.  Other Illinois hospitals recognized by Leapfrog were HSHS St. Mary's Hospital in Decatur as a top general hospital, and OSF Holy Family Medical Center in Galesburg and Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon were recognized as top rural hospitals.  All of the hospitals received an "A" rating in Leapfrog's Fall 2019 survey, which was released in October.  "Our Top Hospital award ... recognizes hospitals for ensuring their facilities prioritize safety and quality in patient care," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.  Bruce C. Christian, president and CEO of the two Amita hospitals, said the Leapfrog designation was "a testament to the hard work and dedication shown by our physicians and associates every day."  "The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged to be one of the most competitive honors American hospitals can achieve," Christian added.  Missing from the 2019 list were some of the region's hospitals known for quality care. Northwestern Memorial Hospital and University of Chicago Medical Center -- both of which were on Leapfrog's 2018 list -- did not make it this year. Northwestern received a "B" rating in Leapfrog's Fall 2019 survey, while University of Chicago received an "A" rating.


drudgereport--2019-11-27--Hospital Admits Giving Wrong Person Kidney Transplant...

CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) — There was a life-threatening mistake at one of the largest hospitals in the Delaware Valley, involving two patients waiting for a kidney transplant. Last week, CBS3 received a tip that a patient at the Lourdes Hospital Transplant Center received a kidney transplant meant for another patient on the waiting list.  The hospital system confirmed that the surgery mix-up did, in fact, take place last week. The two patients have the same name and are around the same age.  After several follow-up conversations with Virtua Health, which took over Lourdes Health System earlier this year, the hospital system admits they gave the wrong person a kidney transplant last Monday.  Officials tell us the organ recipient was in need of a kidney and the surgery was successful. But, they say, the next day a staff member discovered the kidney recipient was out of priority order based on the matching organ donor list.  “This is an unprecedented event in our respected 40-plus-year transplant program. As an organization committed to safety and process, we immediately instituted additional measures and educational reinforcement to help ensure this does not happen again,” Dr. Reginald Blaber, executive vice president and chief clinical officer of Virtua Health, said in a statement.  Virtua says they voluntarily reported the incident to the New Jersey Health Department.  “We have a profound responsibility to people who literally place their lives in our hands. Mistakes of this magnitude are rare, and despite the unusual circumstances of similar patient identities, additional verification would have prevented this error,” Blaber said.  Virtua did not say what corrective actions they’re taking, but patient advocates say making sure the right person is undergoing surgery is basic medical practice.  “We would want to confirm the patient’s name – first and last name. We would want to confirm the patient’s date of birth and, on this checklist, we would ask a patient or check their medical record to assure that a number of criteria are satisfied to assure we have the right patient,” Lawrence Muscarella, of LFM Healthcare Solutions, said.  The medical director and transplant coordinator visited the patient who was supposed to get the kidney to apologize.  The 51-year-old patient who underwent the kidney transplant is doing well.  The hospital says the other patient ended up undergoing a successful kidney transplant on Sunday and is doing well.


eveningstandard--2019-01-03--Hospital in bid for Londonaposs first 24-hour emergency helipad that could save dozens of lives

Hospital in bid for London's first 24-hour emergency helipad that could save dozens of lives

London could get its first 24-hour hospital helipad under plans that could save dozens of lives every year.  King’s College Hospital has applied to extend the operating hours of its helipad in Denmark Hill, which is currently open between 7am and 9pm. London is the only major European capital without a 24-hour emergency helipad.  About 500 patients have been flown to the helipad since it opened in 2016, with night opening expected to enable King’s to receive a further 75 patients a year. A spokesman said: “This would give critically sick patients faster access to specialist treatment at night as well as during the day.”  The hospital’s ability to treat seriously ill patients will increase when its £100 million critical care centre opens.  The helipad at King’s is the first in mainland Britain to use an automatic foam and water system that avoids the need for firefighters to be on standby for a crash landing.  Seven residents have objected to the plans, saying the noise would disturb their sleep. One said: “The impact on residents would be too great if air ambulances were to land here 24 hours a day.”  A noise report commissioned by the hospital shows that World Health Organisation limits for sleep would be breached for less than a minute at a time during take-off and landing. It said noise levels would fall to “acceptable” levels if windows were kept closed.  The hospital's planning application said it consulted 500 residents and claims to have secured “85 per cent” support. It told the council it was “acutely aware” of concerns and proposed a two-year trial of night flights “in view of this sensitivity”.  Mayor Sadiq Khan said he had no objection to the plans and referred the final decision to Lambeth council.  A council spokesman said: “We are still in dialogue with King’s Hospital. No decision, or date for a decision has yet been made.”


eveningstandard--2019-01-04--East London hospital one of first in the country to launch protein shakes to combat Type 2 Diabetes

An east London hospital is among the first in the country to launch a Type 2 diabetes treatment that uses low-calorie protein shakes to reverse the disease.  Thirty places will be available this month at the Hackney Diabetes Centre on a pioneering weight loss course to target remission of the condition instead of management.  Patients will see their normal meals replaced by 800-calorie protein drinks alongside a long-term weight management plan aimed at losing around two and a half stone over a year.  It comes after NHS England announced a separate trial to be launched later this year where up to 5,000 patients will be restricted to a quarter of the recommended daily intake. The Hackney programme will be run from the centre at Homerton University Hospital by NHS dieticians and funded by the Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group.  Owen Marples, a diabetes specialist dietician, said: “It is a complete shift in approach from just managing Type 2 diabetes and making sure it doesn’t get worse. It is revolutionary in that sense.”  The details of the forthcoming NHS England trial have yet to be made public, but the Counterweight programme is the only peer-reviewed programme that has produced remission rates. It has been used by private practitioners for several years.  The programme was also used by academics from Glasgow and Newcastle universities during a Diabetes UK-funded Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial that showed almost half of those placed on the programme reversed the disease. Only four per cent of people achieved remission using conventional NHS treatments.  The study also found 86 per cent of those who lost more than two and a half stone would also beat Type 2 diabetes through sustained weight loss.  Counterweight chief executive Justin Slabbert said: “Diabetes can have some pretty severe consequences and has a huge impact on the quality of your life. Now there are two doors open to patients. The first is to manage your chronic condition and the other is to undergo an intensive weight-loss  programme that sets them free of diabetes.”  The NHS spends an estimated £10 billion a year treating patients with Type 1 and 2 diabetes — including a cost of £1 billion to issue prescriptions.  The Hackney trial will begin later this month with around 20 sessions led by an NHS dietician who has been trained in administering the Counterweight programme.  Each group will run for a year and patients will aim to lose about 15kg  and then maintain this new weight to give themselves the best odds of achieving and sustaining remission from their diabetes.


eveningstandard--2019-01-18--London hospital trust receives more complaints from junior doctors about working hours than any othe

London hospital trust receives more complaints from junior doctors about working hours than any other

A London hospital trust received the highest number of complaints from junior doctors about their working hours in the country.  London North West Healthcare trust was fined £13,215 after more than 2,500 reports from junior doctors, those below the level of consultant - about having to work beyond their contracted terms and conditions.  The trust, which runs Northwick Park, Ealing and Central Middlesex hospitals and employs 440 junior doctors, had 2,569 exception reports – the highest number in the country – while Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, which runs Purley War Memorial Hospital and Croydon University Hospital, was found to have the highest number of reports per doctor, at 8.5 per member of staff. It resulted in £25,000 in fines.  Putting in longer hours than the Junior Doctor Contract stipulates, often on night shifts running from 8pm to 8am,  has been associated with chronic understaffing in the NHS.  All NHS trusts had to appoint a junior doctors’ “guardian” as one of terms of the deal agreed by former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to end the junior docs’ strike in 2016.  Now junior doctors can file a report when they work beyond their contracted hours or work without breaks.  Since 2016, 63,309 of these “exception reports” were filed by around 36,000 trainee medics nationwide, the data obtained in a freedom of information request by the Health Service Journal revealed.  Just four trusts nationwide reported zero exception reports.  Doctors are entitled to time off in lieu or extra money in return for working extra hours, and to see a review of their working patterns.  Danny Mortimer, the chief executive of NHS Employers, said: “Although the process is working well overall there are areas where guardians of safe working hours and doctors tell us improvement is needed.”  But some believe the new data only shows a fraction of the actual overtime doctors work in an understaffed NHS.  One junior paediatrician, 27, who has worked in both north and south London NHS trusts and wished to remain anonymous, said: “I last exception reported as an F1 [first year] on surgery - I’ve definitely worked longer than paid on A&E a few times and once or twice on this job… we either don’t know how to use the online system or it’s lots of paperwork so an effort to do.  “It may also be that North West [the situation] is just so bad that even with the same proportion of doctors reporting it, there’s way more [exceptions].”  A Croydon Health Services Trust spokesperson said it had worked to create an environment that “encourages reporting of incidents as well as exceptions”.  A London North West Healthcare NHS Trust spokesperson said: “The vast majority  of the 2,569 reports received are not about doctors working beyond their contract but about working hours not matching the hours that were planned on the rota. Actual breaches of contract are rare and quickly addressed.”


eveningstandard--2019-03-20--I can see the case for rebuilding Whipps Cross hospital says health minister

I can see the case for rebuilding Whipps Cross hospital, says health minister

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has raised hopes of transforming one of London’s oldest hospitals after admitting he can “see the case” for rebuilding Whipps Cross.  Mr Hancock was asked to visit the increasingly busy Leytonstone hospital, parts of which date back more than 100 years, after its condition was raised by Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith at Prime Minister’s Questions.  He saw for himself how many inpatients were treated on large “Nightingale” wards, where beds are separated only by curtains and there is a risk of cross-infection and a lack of dignity.  Doctors told him how patients often have to be wheeled across an open-air footbridge to and from surgery when a lift breaks down. The hospital has an £88 million repairs backlog and bosses adopt an “Elastoplast approach” to keeping it open.  Nurses told Mr Hancock about “truly, truly awful, unbearable conditions” last summer on wards without air conditioning. Bottles of water and ice lollies were distributed daily. Bosses at Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs Whipps Cross, want to knock down derelict parts of its sprawling campus and build a new £360 million hospital, part-funded by hundreds of new homes alongside.  A new A&E department opened in 2012 and some wards and theatres have been modernised but staff say a new hospital is vital. Only 11 per cent of beds are in single rooms. Modern hospitals have about 30 to 35 per cent.  Mr Hancock told staff: “There is clearly a need for improvement to the estate of this hospital. That is evident to anybody walking around it.”  Speaking to the Standard afterwards, he said: “We have given Whipps Cross the go-ahead to take their planning for a redevelopment to the next stage.  “The amount of capital money there is for new hospitals will be in the spending review, but I can see the case for modernisation of Whipps Cross.”  Trust chief executive Alwen Williams said: “We have a golden opportunity to turn our ageing buildings and underused land into a modern hospital at the heart of a flagship health and care campus.”


eveningstandard--2019-03-22--The Reader Whipps Cross hospital plan is not fit for purpose

The Reader: Whipps Cross hospital plan is not fit for purpose

We WRITE in response to your article [“I can see the case for rebuilding Whipps Cross, says minister,” March 23] about the redevelopment of Whipps Cross Hospital in east London.  Waltham Forest Save our NHS, the local health campaign group, has grave concerns that the proposed new hospital may not be fit for purpose because of funding constraints imposed by the Government.  In the initial plan submitted we could have 83 fewer beds than we do now. Despite it being recognised that in 15 years’ time the population growth in north-east London will be equivalent to a new borough.  Barts Health NHS Trust has already had the plan knocked back and has been told to find ways to reduce costs and increase the income it raises from the land.  With the squeeze on funding, NHS trusts expected to sell off their land  and pressure to build new housing, we are concerned that the land sale at Whipps Cross will be to the detriment of the new hospital. Especially as the plan submitted refers to Barts Trust being: ”in need of cash in the short term” from land receipts.  There is a real risk that a hospital that cannot cater for thousands more residents will mean even greater delays at A&E, longer waits for treatment and inadequate healthcare for people in Waltham Forest and Redbridge.  Mary Burnett and Norma Dudley   Waltham Forest Save our NHS  Whipps Cross hospital is lucky to be held to account by such enthusiastic campaigners, as is its parent trust, Barts Health. Most campaigners have been around far longer than the hospital managers and want what is best for the East End and beyond.  The reality, though, is that much of the Whipps Cross site is in dire need of renovation. It is a tragedy that so much of it has been left to go to ruin.  Yes, the populations of Waltham Forest and Redbridge are growing, and ageing. It is not uncommon  for Whipps Cross A&E to be full  of patients in their 90s (while the new paediatric A&E has sick toddlers).  The answer cannot be to treat growing numbers of patients in expensive acute hospital beds. The solution must surely involve the trust funding a modern hospital by cashing in on this land for housing (while retaining freehold rights, and thus a long-term income stream).  Barts Health’s chief, Alwen Williams, understands this. Health Secretary Matt Hancock appears to too. It’s time for action and hard cash. Community support could help overcome this considerable challenge.  How could we end up with such an incompetent Prime Minister? Easy. She’s part of a factional party that has six different propositions to leave Europe and she has developed no route to unity. And she never will.  No one has thought through the history of why Europe is hated by  so many in Britain or done  something about it over 46 years  of EU membership.  A reminder: 48 per cent wanted to stay in Europe, despite such a lack of participation by MPs in European government and institutions. Perhaps our politicians should ask themselves why so many wanted to stay in the  EU, particularly an incoherent, strategy-deficient PM.  British politicians need to take up the European challenge, get involved and sell the positive case for Europe to UK residents. Can it be done? Of course, but it requires intelligent politicians with purpose and strategy. I have written to my Conservative MP along these lines but only had the standard electronic reply.  Hugh Bunce  I was planning to visit the Diane Arbus exhibition at the Hayward Gallery — until a friend told me it does not accept cash between 10am and 5pm. It is outrageous for a public gallery in the centre of London to refuse cash. Not everyone has credit cards, and not everyone wants to use them for small purchases. Not everyone will use debit cards — and certainly not contactless cards.  As part of the South Bank complex — which was originally at least partly funded by public money — the Hayward has a duty to serve all of society, not just some of it.   Marcia MacLeod  Far from being a “settled issue” — as is the global warming debate — the Royal College of Physicians’ efforts to obtain and act on a democratic mandate of its membership on assisted dying has stirred up a hornet’s nest among religious bodies.  The fate of someone dying in extremis is emotive, but ending the agony with medical assistance  should be a choice that is available to the patient. Strident views from religious activists in support of an anachronistic belief are wholly inappropriate.  John Cameron


eveningstandard--2019-04-03--London hospitals trial blood deliveries by bike as Mayoraposs toxic air levy comes in

London hospitals trial blood deliveries by bike as Mayor's toxic air levy comes in

Blood and tumour samples could be transported by cargo bike as one of London’s biggest NHS trusts prepares for Mayor Sadiq Khan’s toxic air levy.  Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals are to trial cycle deliveries of medical supplies as part of a wider “green” initiative accompanying next Monday’s launch of the ultra low emission zone (Ulez).  Both hospitals are within the central London Ulez and trust chiefs want to reduce the number of freight deliveries. To tackle this, a pilot scheme involving the outsourced pathology departments — which analyse blood tests and biopsies — will be launched.  David Lawson, head of procurement at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We need to ensure critical deliveries every day across our central London hospital and community sites. With a cycle path on our doorstep, we are looking to trial cargo bikes in partnership with our pathology provider, Viapath.  “This is part of a wider consolidation strategy to design out 90 per cent of freight deliveries into the trust.” A spokeswoman said the trial would initially focus on blood products. It will replace an hourly motorbike or van courier service between the two hospitals.  The use of cargo bikes is being promoted by Team London Bridge, the area’s business improvement district.  It wants 15 per cent of firms to use the bikes for deliveries in central London. This could eradicate the need for 28,750 van journeys a year, it says.  Businesses such as Ikea, Sainsbury’s and TNT already use cargo bikes and wider use could reduce the 9,000 premature deaths in London each year caused by toxic air. Nadia Broccardo, chief executive of Team London Bridge, said the Ulez was a “real opportunity to rethink how best to move freight over short distances in the capital”.  She added: “From groceries to medical supplies, cargo bikes can help businesses cut costs and journey times, as well as pollution that is blighting life in London.” It is not the first time that cargo bikes have been used in the capital. First Mile, a green recycling company, makes deliveries within the West End.  Lilli Matson, TfL’s director of transport strategy, said: “We’re working closely with businesses and business groups ... to encourage people to think about cleaner, safer and more efficient ways of moving goods. Cargo bikes have real potential to help clean up London’s toxic air and it’s fantastic to see Team London Bridge’s bold ambitions for cycle freight.”  Only 11 per cent of motorists know which vehicles will have to pay the Ulez, research by Auto Trader suggested. The £12.50-a-day charge will typically be levied on diesel cars more than four years old, petrol cars more than 14 years old and motorbikes more than 12 years old.


eveningstandard--2019-08-05--London hospital to share in 850m Boris handout

London hospital to share in £850m Boris handout

A London hospital will almost double its space for critically ill patients as a result of a £1.8 billion nationwide investment announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.  Croydon hospital is one of 20 hospitals to share in £850 million to upgrade outdated facilities and equipment and tackle a NHS-wide five per cent annual increase in patients.  A total of £17 million is also being provided to build a “health and wellbeing hub”. Croydon hospital chiefs said the “much needed” £12.7 million investment would enable its critical care unit, opened in 1984, to be rebuilt with 24 intensive treatment and high-dependency beds.  This will reduce the number of life-threatened patients having to be transferred to hospitals out of the borough and should help the hospital retain skilled staff.  The unit will temporarily relocate elsewhere in the hospital while the modernisation is completed.  The hospital currently has eight intensive treatment beds and seven high-dependency beds. It hopes to open the new unit in 2021. It follows a £21 million A&E rebuild that was opened by Health Secretary Matt Hancock in May.  Mr Johnson said: “Following its successful A&E refurbishment, Croydon University Hospital will now benefit from bigger and better care units.”  Hospital chief executive Matthew Kershaw said: “By redeveloping our intensive treatment and high-dependency units, we can ensure our patients receive the care they need.”  Barking, Havering and Redbridge clinical commissioning groups and North East London NHS Foundation Trust received £17 million to develop a health and wellbeing hub in Hornchurch.  With the area’s population set to increase by 15,000 in the next 10 years, the hub will include a centre of excellence to keep the elderly active, plus outpatient clinics and GP services.  The £1.8 billion includes £1 billion for major infrastructure projects. NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said it was a “significant start” to providing modern facilities and equipment. But Sally Gainsbury, senior policy analyst at The Nuffield Trust, said the £1 billion had already been given to hospitals — but they had been banned from spending it. “They earned it last year in incentive payments for cutting their costs,” she said.  Mr Hancock today told Good Morning Britain that he could “guarantee” the NHS was ready to cope with a no-deal Brexit.  He said: “I can guarantee we have plans in place to make sure the NHS runs as effectively as it does today through any Brexit scenario.”


eveningstandard--2019-09-28--Boris Johnson sets out 13bn plan for 40 new hospitals ahead of Tory conference

Boris Johnson sets out £13bn plan for 40 new hospitals ahead of Tory conference

Boris Johnson has set out a £13 billion plan for 40 new hospitals to replace old and out-dated buildings as the Tories gather for their annual conference in Manchester.  The Prime Minister told The Sunday Telegraph that the Government was embarking on "the biggest programme of hospital building in a generation".  Mr Johnson said the plan was beginning with a £2.7 billion cash injection for six hospitals over the next five years.  The remaining projects, including up to a dozen smaller rural hospitals, will be completed over the second half of the next decade.  "We're launching the biggest hospital building programme in a generation. You will have seen that on the steps of Downing Street I announced 20 new hospital upgrades," he said.  "We're now following that up with 40 new hospitals we're going to be doing across the country. It's the biggest programme of hospital building in a generation."  The announcement comes as Mr Johnson arrived in Manchester for the party conference, which faces being overshadowed by moves to oust him at Westminster.  The Prime Minister also faces pressure over his links with businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri while he was London mayor.  Mr Johnson refused to answer questions about his political and personal battles as he arrived with girlfriend Carrie Symonds at the Midland Hotel.  A small group of protesters gathered outside the ring of steel which surrounds the venue, and their anti-Brexit cries could be heard as Mr Johnson got out of his ministerial Jaguar.  "Boris is a liar" and "get your Johnson out of our democracy" were among the slogans chanted by the demonstrators.  Posting on Twitter on Saturday evening, Mr Johnson said: "Arrived in Manchester for our Conservative Party conference. Let's get Brexit done!"  The Government's defeat in the Supreme Court and its failure to win a Commons vote to schedule a recess for the conference means that Tory MPs face shuttling between Manchester and Westminster to counter the threat of an ambush by opposition parties.  A senior SNP MP said the opposition parties could stage a vote of no-confidence in the Government as early as next week in a bid to replace the Prime Minister with a caretaker leader who would secure an extension to the Brexit deadline.  Labour's Jeremy Corbyn is expected to convene another meeting of opposition leaders in Westminster on Monday to plot their next moves aimed at preventing a no-deal Brexit on October 31.


eveningstandard--2019-10-17--Hillingdon Hospital forced to close child wards over 'structural failure'

Boris Johnson's constituency hospital has been forced to close its children’s wards after the building began to fall apart.  Engineers spotted subsidence at Hillingdon hospital, prompting the Peter Pan, Wendy and Tinkerbell wards to be shut amid concerns about safety.  The problems were described as “significant building failure to the sub-structure, rendering parts of the building inoperable”.  The hospital’s condition is among the worst in London, with a repairs backlog of about £200 million.  But it was given only “seed funding” from the Government’s £1.8 billion pledged last month by Mr Johnson to rebuild the NHS’s worst hospitals.  The funding is to help it draw up plans for a new hospital, which is not due until 2025-2030. Peter Pan is an inpatient long-stay and emergency ward used by children receiving cancer treatment and who have been admitted via A&E.  The Wendy ward is used for day patients, including children undergoing less complex operations and requiring blood tests. Tinkerbell is used by paediatric outpatients.  The child inpatients have been moved to other parts of the hospital, while outpatient clinics are being held elsewhere on the site.  Visiting the hospital last week, Mr Johnson said: “It needs a complete rebuild and that is what we are going to do.”  Hospital chief executive Sarah Tedford said the move was done as a precaution. She said: “This is an unfortunate legacy of our ageing estate, which is why we have worked hard to try to secure the funding not only for a new hospital but for interim repairs and maintenance.”  New: Daily podcast from the Evening Standard  Listen and subscribe to The Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or your chosen podcast provider. New episodes every weekday from 4pm.


lifesitenews--2019-10-14--U of Michigan hospital trying to yank life support from 14-year-old boy against parents’ wishe

U of Michigan hospital trying to yank life support from 14-year-old boy against parents’ wishes

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, October 14, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – The family of a 14-year-old boy is desperately appealing for more time for their son after a hospital declared him “brain dead” and planned to remove his ventilator.  Bobby Reyes, a 14-year-old boy from Michigan, suffered a cardiac arrest on September 21 after experiencing an asthma attack and was airlifted to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor.  Doctors at the hospital diagnosed Bobby as being “brain dead” and within a week of that diagnosis informed his family that his ventilator would be removed, which would bring an end to his life.  But the family points out that the hospital has admitted that there has been improvement in Bobby’s condition and that it is only possible for a living person to get better.  Bobby’s family is requesting that the hospital give him more time while they try to find another hospital that will receive him and give him ongoing care.  Last week they believed that Bobby could be transferred to and receive care in Phoenix, Arizona, with Allegiant Healthcare. But after initially agreeing to receive him, on Thursday the facility said they could not take Bobby. Allegiant claimed that they changed their decision because Bobby’s mother wanted “ongoing care,” while they were only prepared to offer him “palliation.”  The family will be in court on Tuesday, October 15 at 10:00 a.m. to try to be granted more time to arrange a transfer for Bobby.  Bobby Schindler, President of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, will be in court with the family. A press release on his website said that “the Reyes case is representative of a very deep problem within the US healthcare system – particularly those issues surrounding the rush to end the life of patients within the confines of hospital corporations, which have a vested financial interest in discontinuing life.”  “Bobby’s parents, not wanting to make the decision to end their son’s life so quickly, are simply asking for more time, and doctors are duty-bound to provide all potentially efficacious treatments that might help with the patient’s recovery,” said Schindler.


lifesitenews--2019-10-16--U of Michigan ‘just killed my son’: Hospital yanks life support hours after judge dismisses case

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, October 16, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Bobby Reyes, a 14-year-old boy from Michigan who doctors declared "brain dead," died yesterday after a judge dismissed his family’s court case asking he be given more time. The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital removed his ventilator just hours later. The case was heard at 10:00 a.m. and by 3:00 p.m. the hospital had released a statement declaring Bobby to be dead.  Bobby suffered a cardiac arrest on September 21 after experiencing an asthma attack and was airlifted to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor.  Doctors at the hospital diagnosed Bobby as being “brain dead” and within a week of that diagnosis informed his family that his ventilator would be removed, bringing an end to his life.  Bobby’s family brought the case to court to seek more time to arrange a transfer for their son.  But that request was denied by Judge David Swartz of the Washtenaw County Circuit Court yesterday morning, and the medical staff at the University of Michigan hospital disconnected Bobby’s ventilator just hours later.  The decision to remove Bobby’s ventilator was made after a second brain death examination was made Monday which pronounced him dead. But Bobby’s family has continually pointed out that the hospital has admitted that there has been improvement in Bobby’s condition and that it is only possible for a living person to get better.  They have claimed that other doctors believed there was hope for Bobby, including Richard P. Bonfiglio. Bonfiglio is himself a graduate of the University of Michigan’s medical school and attended the court hearing yesterday.  He told the Detroit Free Press that he had reviewed Bobby's charts and visited him in the hospital, although he did not conduct a formal examination because he lacks admitting privileges at the hospital.  When asked if he had seen reasons for the family to hope, he said, “Absolutely, yes. The problem is the whole determination of brain death is not a precise science at this point, so when you're dealing with this kind of situation, I would rather err on the side of giving him a chance than on terminating things.”  “The University of Michigan just killed my son,” she said. “Our lawyer Bill had a papers at the courthouse in his hand that could have saved him but they rushed this whole thing so fast. Bobby is gone and I feel numb we tried so hard to save em I let my boy down. My heart is [broken] we were so close to finding him a place they couldn't give us no time monsters and murderers.”  LifeSiteNews wishes to extend our deepest sympathies to all of Bobby’s family and friends and will bring you further coverage of this tragic story in the coming days.


liveaction--2019-04-30--BREAKING Hospital set to euthanize patient who wants to live by removing oxygen

BREAKING: Hospital set to euthanize patient who wants to live by removing oxygen

Life Legal Defense Foundation shared a post on Facebook today regarding a 64-year-old lung cancer patient, Catie Cassidy, at Fairview Hospital in Edina, Minnesota, whom the hospital is threatening to euthanize by removing her oxygen tomorrow — which would cause her to suffocate to death. LLDF writes:  Catie is a patient at a hospital in Minnesota. She has lung cancer and needs oxygen to remain comfortable. The hospital plans to remove Catie’s oxygen tomorrow morning, which will result in her death by suffocation.  Catie is on video saying she does not want the hospital to “pull the plug.” She relayed this to the hospital’s chaplain, who was sent to Catie’s room by the hospital to prepare her to be euthanized. Even though the hospital has been sedating Catie, she understands what the hospital is planning to do and says she is still fighting and is “not ready” to die.  We are appalled that a hospital would even consider withdrawing oxygen from a patient who has clearly communicated that she wants to live. When asked if she wants her oxygen removed, Catie’s response was “NO! I want to live!”  Withdrawing Catie’s oxygen to cause her death is active euthanasia, which is illegal in Minnesota and every other state.  Life Legal is evaluating legal options at this time.  In the video below, Catie can be heard clearly recounting a conversation she had with an unnamed individual about the idea of being euthanized: “I said, ‘I’m not ready.’ He said, ‘You don’t wanna pull the plug?’ I said, ‘NO WAY!'”  Catie has expressed her wishes not to die. She is conscious and talking. Even if a patient’s cancer is terminal, removing oxygen from a cancer patient to directly euthanize that person — certainly one who is conscious — is inhumane. And, as LLDF pointed out, “Withdrawing Catie’s oxygen to cause her death is active euthanasia, which is illegal in Minnesota and every other state.”  LLDF also wrote a blog post with more information about Catie’s situation, saying that “Life Legal is representing Catie’s health care proxy. We are demanding that the hospital transfer Catie to another facility that will care for her, as required by law.”  “Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!


liveaction--2019-04-30--VICTORY Hospital will no longer remove oxygen from cancer patient

VICTORY: Hospital will no longer remove oxygen from cancer patient

UPDATE, 5/1/19, 8:13p EST: Good news from Life Legal Defense Foundation. Below is the group’s statement with regard to Catie Cassidy:  Yesterday, Life Legal reported that 64-year-old Catie Cassidy was threatened with removal of oxygen while receiving care at a Minnesota hospital. Without supplemental oxygen, Catie would have suffocated to death.  In response, Life Legal attorneys sent a demand letter letting the hospital know of its duties under Minnesota law.  We have received news today that Fairview Hospital in Edina is fully cooperating with Catie’s health care proxy and that they will continue to provide Catie with oxygen as needed.  We are grateful for the work of our Life Legal Minnesota team, especially attorneys Wayne Holstad and Craig Beuning of Holstad and Knaak, who intervened immediately on Catie’s behalf.  “Life Legal is pleased that Catie will receive the care she needs and that her wish to fight for her life as long as she can will be honored,” said Life Legal Executive Director Alexandra Snyder. “It is time for us to have a larger conversation about the inherent value of every human life and about our moral obligation to protect those who are most vulnerable.”  UPDATE, 5/1/19, 4:01p EST: Fairview Hospital responded this afternoon to Live Action with a statement:  If you’ve heard or seen the inaccurate accusations about euthanasia at one of our hospitals, we’d like to address this directly: Because of privacy laws, we cannot comment on a specific patient’s medical condition. We can share, however, how we address end-of-life care. End-of-life care is focused on comfort care during the dying process. We communicate closely with the patient or, if they are unable to participate in conversation, with their designated decision-maker if they have one. We do our best to honor the patient’s known wishes, whether those wishes are to prolong life or to stop treatment.  Euthanasia is illegal in the State of Minnesota, and our health system does not practice it. It is always our goal to provide medically appropriate and ethical care and comfort to our patients with the utmost dignity and honor.  4/30/19: The attorneys at Life Legal Defense Foundation shared a post on Facebook today regarding a 64-year-old lung cancer patient, Catie Cassidy, at Fairview Hospital in Edina, Minnesota, whom the hospital is threatening to euthanize by removing her oxygen tomorrow — which LLDF says would cause her to suffocate to death. LLDF writes:  Catie is a patient at a hospital in Minnesota. She has lung cancer and needs oxygen to remain comfortable. The hospital plans to remove Catie’s oxygen tomorrow morning, which will result in her death by suffocation.  Catie is on video saying she does not want the hospital to “pull the plug.” She relayed this to the hospital’s chaplain, who was sent to Catie’s room by the hospital to prepare her to be euthanized. Even though the hospital has been sedating Catie, she understands what the hospital is planning to do and says she is still fighting and is “not ready” to die.  We are appalled that a hospital would even consider withdrawing oxygen from a patient who has clearly communicated that she wants to live. When asked if she wants her oxygen removed, Catie’s response was “NO! I want to live!”  Withdrawing Catie’s oxygen to cause her death is active euthanasia, which is illegal in Minnesota and every other state.  Life Legal is evaluating legal options at this time.  In the video below, Catie can be heard clearly recounting a conversation she had with an unnamed individual about the idea of being euthanized: “I said, ‘I’m not ready.’ He said, ‘You don’t wanna pull the plug?’ I said, ‘NO WAY!'”  As LLDF pointed out, “Withdrawing Catie’s oxygen to cause her death is active euthanasia, which is illegal in Minnesota and every other state.”  LLDF also wrote a blog post with more information about Catie’s situation, saying that “Life Legal is representing Catie’s health care proxy. We are demanding that the hospital transfer Catie to another facility that will care for her, as required by law.”  The hospital did not immediately return a request for comment.  “Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!


liveaction--2019-07-04--New York City rejects 13M for hospitals in favor of choosing abortion over healthcare

New York City rejects $1.3M for hospitals in favor of choosing abortion over healthcare

In protest of the Trump administration’s Protect Life Rule, New York City officials chose to reject $1.3 million in federal funding for public hospitals in order to continue promoting abortion. The announcement comes weeks after New York City became the first municipality to pay directly for the abortions of low-income children.  Liberty Counsel reports in a press release that Mayor Bill de Blasio, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio, and President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals Dr. Mitchell Katz made the announced that as long as the Protect Life Rule is in effect, they will refuse Title X funding, which supports family planning services for low-income women.  As Live Action News previously reported, the Protect Life Rule requires a “clear financial and physical separation between Title X funded projects and programs or facilities where abortion is a method of family planning.” The rule has prevented Planned Parenthood, which refuses to separate its abortion business from the limited birth control and cancer screenings it offers, from receiving about $60 million annually in Title X funding.  READ: New York City: Where pizza parlors are safer than “filthy” uninspected abortion clinics  Mayor Bill de Blasio characterized the pro-life protections as a “gag rule,” claiming, “The doctors and nurses at the heart of New York City’s public hospital system took an oath to protect and serve patients, and we will do whatever’s necessary to ensure they are able to provide the best medical treatment. Our decision to reject Title X funds sends a clear message – we will not stand by while the Trump Administration tries to censor our providers and prevent them from giving patients information about abortions.”  Bloomberg quoted de Blasio in part from a news conference on his decision to reject federal funds:  “Our public hospitals will continue to give full reproductive care; no public hospital will be prohibited from giving full truthful advice to their patients,” de Blasio said during a news conference at Bellevue Medical Center, the oldest continuously operating hospital in the U.S., founded in 1736. “There’s no city that turns down federal money lightly. We’re not going to accept this gag rule in New York City. We’re going to make sure that women’s reproductive health rights are honored. We have to make sure nonprofits are made whole as well.”  Planned Parenthood is, of course, classified as a “nonprofit” organization, though it has excess revenues in the tens of millions each year.  READ: CDC data reveals New York City is the ‘late-term abortion capital’  Abortion is not health care, and it is not necessary to violently end the life of a preborn child with a beating heat in order to advance the best interests of women.  Abortion activists, with de Blasio as their mouthpiece, claim that pro-lifers value preborn humans above the lives of their mothers. In fact, the reverse is true: Abortion activists have shown time and again that they view the only way forward as sacrificing preborn children to “empower” women. Nothing is empowering about telling mothers they must kill their own children in order to live and pursue their dreams.  READ: New York City becomes first to pay directly for abortions of low-income children  As Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, aptly stated, “This tantrum by Mayor de Blasio and other New York City hospital bureaucrats to forgo federal funds is driven by their absence of concern for human lives.” He noted, “There are people that truly need medical attention in those hospitals. However, it is ironic that doctors and nurses in the public hospital system ‘took an oath to protect and serve patients’ but city and state officials will do whatever necessary to murder unborn children and harm women. This is just another example that New York wants to become the world sanctuary for abortions.”  “Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!


liveaction--2019-09-30--Catholic hospital in Canada forced to participate in assisted suicide

Despite an agreement saying that its beliefs and values would be respected, a Catholic hospital in Canada is being forced to participate in assisted suicide after facing legal battles from assisted suicide advocacy organizations.  St. Martha’s Regional Hospital Complex in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, gave control of the hospital to the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) in 1996 after previously being run by the Sisters of St. Martha — but signed an agreement saying the hospital’s Catholic identity would be protected. This meant assisted suicide was not allowed at St. Martha’s. But outrage from assisted suicide advocacy group Dying with Dignity resulted in threats of a potential legal challenge under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This led the NSHA to quietly announce that “[a]ssessments and provision of MAiD [medical assistance in dying] will be available in a section of St. Martha’s Regional Hospital complex at the Antigonish Health and Wellness Centre” in a statement.  Unsurprisingly, Dying with Dignity celebrated the change. “We hope that this is the start and that Nova Scotia’s regulation, Nova Scotia’s position will be used as a model in other jurisdictions across the country. We’re certainly pushing for that,” Jim Cowan, chair of Dying with Dignity, told Global News.  However, a statement from the Sisters of St. Martha insisted that assisted suicide would not be committed within the hospital, but solely in the Antigonish Health and Wellness Centre building, which is attached to the hospital.  As noted by Bioedge, worldwide pressure is mounting on Catholic health care providers to drop their opposition to things like abortion and assisted suicide. One example is Jocelyn Downie, of Dalhousie University, who specifically singled out St. Martha’s to reporters. “[I]t’s indefensible to have a publicly funded institution have a faith-based filter on the services that are available,” she said, attacking the idea of organizations like St. Martha’s receiving taxpayer funding while refusing to participate in abortion and assisted suicide.  Moves like these send a chilling message, not just for pro-life issues, but for religious freedom and conscience rights as well. Ultimately, what pro-death activists are saying is that any organization unwilling to participate in active killing should not be allowed to receive taxpayer funding, at a time when conscience protections are already under attack around the world.  “Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!


naturalnews--2019-06-02--Ohio hospital spreading deadly infectious disease through its water systems

(Natural News) In April of this year, Natural News reported how U.S. hospitals were releasing deadly superbugs into the open air, infecting both patients and individuals in the local community with a deadly fungal strain known as candida auris. As I wrote then:  It’s happening right now. And this pandemic has been silently spreading over the last four years, with virtually zero media reports, very little information from the CDC, and a coordinated cover-up by the hospitals of the western world to keep patients in the dark while they’re being infected and killed by a deadly pathogen.  Now, patients in an Ohio hospital have been infected with Legionnaires’ disease after the hospital was found to be circulating a potentially deadly bacterial strain through its water supply. Local media is reporting the details of the outbreak, and Dr. Amy Acton, who heads up the Ohio Dept. of Health, is reportedly leading the investigation into what happened.  InfoWars has covered the full story and reports the following (source):  SEVEN DIAGNOSED WITH LEGIONNAIRES’ AT NEW OHIO HOSPITAL  Seven patients have been diagnosed with the deadly Legionnaires’ disease at an Ohio hospital that’s been open just over a month, according to reports.  Health officials have begun to disinfect the building’s water lines to stop the spread and are scrambling to identify the source of the bacteria, according to a Friday statement from Dr. Amy Acton, director of Ohio’s Department of Health.  “To protect patients, employees, and visitors, we have acted swiftly today after my team discovered a connection between three confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in former patients at Mount Carmel Grove City,” said Dr. Acton. “Working in collaboration with Franklin County Public Health, I issued an adjudication order to immediately reduce the risk of further infection.”  Mother Nature's micronutrient secret: Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here.  “It is our understanding that hospital officials have begun implementing the steps outlined in the order, tonight.”  Specific maneuvers outlined in the statement include but aren’t limited to the following, according to local media:  – Flush all hot and cold water lines and fixtures throughout the entire seven-floor, 200-bed facility.   – Implement immediate remediation practices to disinfect hot and cold water lines and fixtures.   – Ensure the two on-sight cooling towers are cleaned and serviced.  Legionnaires’ disease is described as a severe form of pneumonia and is contracted by inhaling airborne water droplets containing the Legionella bacteria, which is why authorities are targeting the hospital’s water supply.  Similarly, this brings to mind a recent superbug fungal outbreak that spread rapidly throughout U.S. hospitals, mainly New York and New Jersey.  During this outbreak in 2017, there were at least 61 reported cases of the deadly fungus that touts a 60% mortality rate and has the potential to become widespread due to conventional antibiotics being ineffective in treating it.  At the time, reported cases of the fungal superbug, called Candida auris, skyrocketed a staggering 800% from several months prior.  “It’s acting like a superbug,” said Paige Armstrong of the CDC. “Without appropriate infection control and really a rigorous response, [it] could lead to even more cases in the United States.”  Watch the full candida auris mini-documentary here, via Brighteon.com, and stay informed about the threat of deadly superbugs at Superbugs.news.  A shorter podcast explanation is available here:


naturalnews--2019-09-30--Hackers shut down operations in Wyoming hospital forcing patients to be transferred

Hackers shut down operations in Wyoming hospital, forcing patients to be transferred

(Natural News) In case we needed another reminder of how terribly things can go wrong when we place too much trust in technology, an attack on the computers of a healthcare system in Wyoming forced a hospital to transfer patients and cancel surgeries.  The problem was caused by a ransomware attack that took control of the computers at the Campbell County Memorial Hospital in Gillette. Although the emergency room remained operational, many services became unavailable at the facility, which hosts clinics, a surgery center, and a long-term care center in addition to the 90-bed hospital.  For example, elective surgeries were canceled, and others were being considered on a case-by-case basis. The outpatient lab was shut down, inpatient admissions were brought to a halt, and services like imaging, respiratory therapy, record-keeping and pharmacology were all affected.  The hospital said that its walk-in clinic and emergency services would remain open, but ambulances and flight crews were on hand to transport patients if needed.  Although officials say they haven’t found evidence that patient data was misused, it’s possible that the hackers gained access to sensitive data pertaining to patients and/or employees. The ordeal caused Campbell County commissioners to declare a local disaster in the area, which is home to around 46,000 people and the heart of the state’s oil and coal industry. The declaration will protect the hospital from losing federal funding due to diverting patients to inferior facilities.  The hospital is keeping 1,500 computers and servers offline to help contain the attack. The computers are being treated as a crime scene as investigators work to determine who was behind the attack. FBI investigators and officials from the Wyoming Department of Homeland Security are on the scene.  100% organic essential oil sets now available for your home and personal care, including Rosemary, Oregano, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Clary Sage and more, all 100% organic and laboratory tested for safety. A multitude of uses, from stress reduction to topical first aid. See the complete listing here, and help support this news site.  Emergency Management Coordinator David King said: “They have unplugged every computer in the hospital. Physically unplugged them from the wall.”  A message on the hospital’s website advises patients to call to confirm their appointments prior to showing up; those whose appointments haven’t been canceled are being told to bring their medication bottles with them. In the latest update, which was posted yesterday, they advised people to call because they have no email and limited faxing capabilities.  Their site also warned that some people in the area had been receiving phone calls from opportunists claiming to be hospital representatives seeking personal information on the pretense of restoring their patient portal. They advised people not to share information with these callers.  Officials haven’t said how many patients have been transferred so far, and they don’t know when the issue will be resolved. Because the attack is still under investigation, hospital officials won’t discuss the hackers’ demands or specify whether those demands were being met.  A similar attack was seen at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in California in 2016, when staff were forced to work without email access and electronic health records for more than a week before the hospital paid hackers $17,000 to unlock its data. Two Iranian men were later found to be responsible for the attack.  In another incident, N.E.O. Urology Associates in Ohio paid a $75,000 ransom in bitcoin to unlock its computer system. Other organizations hit by such attacks decided not to pay hackers for restored access.  These problems are on the rise, and they will only continue to increase as we trust computers with more and more vital information. Thankfully, other hospitals are available to pick up some of the slack in this incident, but what would happen if all the hospital systems in the country or even just one state or county were attacked at once?


newyorkpost--2019-01-31--Study finds malnutrition is rampant in US hospitals

Study finds malnutrition is ‘rampant’ in US hospitals

Is your loved one getting the right amount of nutrients in the hospital?  Hospitals are not known for having the most gourmet food options, but a new study shows that patients are not finishing their meals and that can cause more health problems.  Just over half (51 percent) of patients leave most of their meals uneaten while staying in the hospital, a study released Wednesday from health nonprofit nutritionDay Worldwide found. Not eating well-rounded meals while staying in the hospital can increase patients’ risk of health complications and delay recovery, the study, published in peer-reviewed Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, concluded.  “Malnutrition can be invisible to the eye and is rampant in US hospitals because it’s not always top of mind,” said Gail Gewirtz, president and founder of nutritionDay in the US. “Our data shows that one warning sign — poor food intake — is very common in hospitals and this is something health-care providers can easily look out for and address.’’ (The American Hospital Association declined to comment.)  Researchers surveyed nearly 10,000 patients from 245 US hospitals and found that one in three hospitalized adults is at risk of malnutrition. Adults who ate none of their food had a nearly six times higher risk of death than those who ate some food, the study said.  Of course, patients may not finish their food because they are sick and simply don’t feel like eating three meals per day. “Patients don’t always have the best appetite or desire to eat while in the hospital, so it’s important to create an environment and serve up options that promote optimal food intake,’’ said Abby Sauer, a registered dietitian at Abbott Laboratories and lead author of the study.  “Hospital malnutrition is a public health problem globally, affecting approximately 30 percent to 50 percent of patients,” the study added. “Often patients enter the hospital malnourished or at risk of malnutrition and experience nutrition decline during their stay, placing them at higher risk for adverse outcomes following hospital discharge.”  Hospitals serve more than 6.3 million employees and 481 million patients each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The health organization released a “health hospital tool kit” in 2014 to help hospitals “ensure that the healthier choice is the easier choice” for patients, employees and visitors.  The CDC suggested more fruits, whole nuts and vegetables for vending machines and fewer packaged chips and candies and sugary drinks and diet sodas. For cafeteria food, the CDC suggests promoting healthy serving sizes and minimizing advertising of unhealthy options like fries, pies, pizzas or cheeseburgers.  Many hospitals are working to make changes. In 2017, the American Medical Association, a professional society representing more than 200,000 physicians, called on hospitals to reduce unhealthy foods including sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meats.  In 2018, food nonprofit Northwell Health hired a Michelin-starred chef to rehabilitate food services at 23 New York hospitals.  In addition to improving food options, the nutritionDay Worldwide study suggested increased attention to nutrition.  The study was conducted in collaboration between nutritionDay and Abbott. Abbott, the pharmaceutical company behind the study, produces nutritional beverages and, as such, has a vested interest in selling them to patients. Abbott provided funding for the study, but the authors said the data was independently collected by nutritionDay. (There’s more information on the methodology here.)  Methods for treating malnutrition vary by hospital and some doctors have criticized sugary meal supplements and replacements as being unhealthy for patients. Some 50 percent to 60 percent of patients do not eat all of a meal that is offered, a 2016 study from the Medical University of Vienna found. Its survey of 91,245 patients was published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  That study showed methods like evaluating patients’ eating habits, offering frequent snacks and coaching relatives on how to encourage patients to eat can be helpful in reducing malnutrition among patients.


newyorkpost--2019-03-19--Woman sues hospital for storing frozen embryo without her knowledge

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. — A Massachusetts woman has filed a lawsuit against a Rhode Island hospital she says froze her embryo and kept it in storage for 13 years without her knowledge.  The Providence Journal reports that Marisa Cloutier-Bristol states in her lawsuit against Women & Infants Hospital in Providence that its negligence took away her chance to have another child and caused her severe emotional distress.  The North Attleborough woman says she found out about the embryo in 2017 after receiving a letter saying she needed to pay $500 to keep it in storage.  According to the lawsuit, the embryo had been frozen in 2004 before she and her first husband decided to end in vitro fertilization treatment.  Hospital spokeswoman Amy Blustein declined to comment on the case, citing patient privacy laws.


newyorkpost--2019-07-03--Mold at Seattle Childrens Hospital leaves 1 dead 5 others infected

Mold at Seattle Children’s Hospital leaves 1 dead, 5 others infected

Six patients were sickened and one died from infections by a garden-variety mold at the Seattle Children’s Hospital officials revealed on Tuesday.  The fatal patient and two others developed the Aspergillus infections in 2018, while the other three became ill this year, according to The Seattle Times. The mold is dangerous to those with weak immune systems, according to the hospital.  “The six patients who developed Aspergillus infections were at higher risk of infection due to the types of procedures they had,” said Children’s public-relations manager Alyse Bernal. “We are deeply saddened that one of these patients died.”  The hospital told the paper about the death and infections in response to questions about the indefinite closure in May of 14 operating rooms on its main Seattle campus due to mold.  The ORs have been infested — on and off — for about a year, likely because of deficiencies in air-handling and purification systems, the hospital said.  “We will reopen our operating rooms when it is safe to do so,” Bernal said.  The hospital hasn’t determined when that will be.  About 1,000 surgeries have been postponed and others have been relocated.  The hospital said it is contacting 3,000 patients who had surgery in the four months leading up to the OR closures to warn them to watch out for infection symptoms.  Aspergillus is a common mold found indoors and outdoors that people breathe in daily without getting sick, according to the CDC. Those with weakened immune systems or lung disease, however, are at higher risk of developing aspergillosis, a disease caused by the mold.


newyorkpost--2019-07-04--Horrifying mix-up sees wrong man taken off life support at Chicago hospital

They thought they had lost their beloved brother for good, taking him off life support and painfully watching him die.  Then he showed up for a family barbecue.  In a shocking bungle, Chicago police misidentified a badly beaten and unconscious patient, leaving a family to mistakenly think he was their relative and remove him from life support, a new lawsuit charges.  The stricken kin only realized the mix-up when the man they thought they had watched die, Alfonso Bennett, strolled up to their home for a family party seven days later, according to court papers.  “He walked in the door, and his sisters were stunned,” said family lawyer Cannon Lambert.  Bennett’s kin had already “commenced making funeral arrangements … which included purchasing a burial plot, casket and home-going clothes. They also commenced work on an obituary,” court documents say.  The debacle began April 29 when Chicago police found a naked and badly bludgeoned man underneath a car in the city and rushed him to local Mercy Hospital.  Police later identified the facially disfigured victim as Bennett, who had been listed as missing, by using his mug shot from an unspecified crime, the suit says.  The hospital contacted Bennett’s sibling, Rosie Brooks, on May 13, and she and her two sisters rushed to his side.  But the women sensed something was amiss and “continually and repeatedly expressed their serious doubts about the identity of the man they were being told was their brother to nearly every medical provider,” the suit says.  Staffers told the sisters they were in denial because of grief and “needed to accept it,” according to the suit filed July 3 in Cook County Circuit Court.  As the patient’s health rapidly declined, Bennett’s family decided to take him off life support May 23, and he died.  Seven days later, a healthy Bennett showed up at his kin’s home after “an out-of-state excursion looking to barbecue with his family,” the suit says.  The astonished but overjoyed family notified Chicago police. The cops then fingerprinted the dead body and identified it as that of Elisha Brittman.  Chicago police spokeswoman Jessica Alvarez told The Post on Thursday, “In order to protect a person’s privacy, we will use fingerprinting as a last resort.”  Brittman’s family was heartbroken to learn that he had died without them at his side and has joined Bennett’s kin in suing the hospital and city for more than $50,000 alleging negligence, wrongful death and emotional distress. Mercy Hospital didn’t return a request for comment.  A similarly horrifying mix-up occurred in New York City earlier this year at St. Barnabas Hospital, according to a Bronx Supreme Court suit.  A Brooklyn woman grieved at her brain-damaged brother’s hospital bedside for nine days before consenting to pull the plug.  After he was taken off life support, she discovered that her real brother was in jail and she had sent a stranger to his death.


newyorkpost--2019-07-24--Family sues hospital after hero principal dies donating bone marrow

A selfless New Jersey principal died trying to help save...


newyorkpost--2019-11-08--Lenox Hill Hospital will shell out $12.3M for submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare

Lenox Hill Hospital and its parent company will cough up a $12.3 million settlement to the Department of Justice for submitting phony Medicare claims, authorities announced Friday.  The hefty payout follows a civil fraud lawsuit in which federal prosecutors accused Lenox Hill and Northwell Health of fraudulently billing Medicare for simultaneous surgeries performed by the former head of the Hospital’s Urology Department, David Samadi.  Samadi frequently scheduled two different surgeries, one robotic and one endoscopic, at the same time in nearby operating rooms, the Department of Justice said — and then left patients in the care of unqualified medical residents or nurses as he hopped between the two.  “Patients put great trust in hospitals, particularly when it comes to surgery,” Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said in a statement. “Hospitals cannot pay surgeons for their referrals, and they cannot run their operating rooms like assembly lines.”  As part of the settlement, Northwell Health — which operates 23 hospitals and 700 outpatient facilities — admitted to overcompensating Samadi for OR referrals billing Medicare for the simultaneous surgeries, and billing Medicare for procedures that did not need to happen in an OR.  Samadi’s employment status wasn’t immediately clear, but public records show he is still a licensed physician.  “The government’s investigation involved a former Lenox Hill surgeon who, during his time on Lenox Hill’s medical staff, achieved quality results for Lenox Hill’s patients,” a spokeswoman for Lenox Hill and Northwell Health said in a statement. “Lenox Hill is proud of its exemplary patient care services and distinguished medical staff, and is committed to continually refining and enhancing its compliance programs.”  A lawyer for the surgeon did not immediately return a message.


newyorkpost--2019-12-09--Mount Sinai Hospital’s emergency department is a ‘war zone,’ workers say

Mount Sinai Hospital is considered one of the best in the country — but its emergency department is a “war zone” and a danger to the very patients it is supposed to save, current and former staffers have told The Post.  Nurses from the Upper East Side hospital recalled patients going into cardiac arrest without anyone noticing, others not being admitted to the critical care area because it was too full and staffers losing track of their charges.  They blamed staffing shortages and an obsession with profits.  “You feel helpless because there’s nothing you can do,” said Diamond Jordan, a former Mount Sinai registered nurse who quit in September.  Dr. Eric Barton, former head of emergency departments for the Mount Sinai hospital network, said he quit in July 2018 after less than a year at the helm because “I had to follow my moral compass and leave and decide this is not an organization that cares for patients.”  A report obtained by The Post shows Mount Sinai Hospital knew its emergency department had issues at least three and a half years ago, when it assembled three out-of-state medical experts to review it.  The three medical directors spent a day in the department on April 15, 2016, and were horrified by what they saw, writing in an internal report to the hospital that the conditions were “among the worst we have ever seen.’’  The report warned that staffing ratios, infection control, safety, patient boarding and conditions in the emergency department were “unacceptable in a first-class medical center” and implored Mount Sinai to rebuild the department.  “It is our opinion that the ED at Mount Sinai is inevitably going to have one or more incidents related to patient safety, quality, or infection control that will draw substantial attention from the media, public, legal system or regulators, despite the extraordinary efforts of professional staff,” the report said.  But three years on, it appears little has changed, with Barton, Jordan and five other current or former nurses claiming Mount Sinai has failed to address crucial issues.  “Every day I go to work, I feel like I am going to a war zone,” said one nurse who was too nervous to be identified.  Jordan, 26, said that on her worst days at work, she was assigned up to 18 patients. The recommended number is five or six. She said she averaged at least nine on a normal day.  A Mount Sinai spokeswoman denied that the hospital’s nurses have ever been given a patient workload as high as Jordan claims hers was, saying it was typically less than eight.  But one employee said the hospital does not count admitted patients that emergency-department nurses continue to take care of in addition to the very sick patients still being wheeled in.  Barton, 57, added that when he was hired as the Mount Sinai hospital-system chair of its Departments of Emergency Medicine in July 2017 — a year after the scathing internal report — the nurse-to-patient ratio was often as high as one to 14.  “I refused to work clinically in that ED because it felt too unsafe in terms of nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and what I saw in terms of the delay of care and getting patients upstairs,” Barton said.  The spokeswoman said that staffers did raise concerns about workloads but that higher-ups listened, adding 20 nursing positions this year in addition to 42 new staffers since 2016.  The hospital also hired a second nurse manager and four assistant nurse managers to support frontline providers, the rep said.  She denied the workers’ other allegations, including that patients went into cardiac arrest unnoticed or were lost track of, calling them “simply not true.”  “We’re constantly phasing in best practices and working to improve each day and each year,” the spokeswoman said.  Mount Sinai was ranked 14th in US News’ annual Best Hospitals list this year — but the index only rates sites based on their specialty departments such as oncology and does not consider emergency rooms.  And while long waits and crowded conditions are a daily reality in most New York City hospitals, Mount Sinai workers alleged their facility was the worst to work in.  The hospital is rated a “poor performer” based on its patient-satisfaction scores on the state Department of Health website.  Staffers from the hospital said the poor reviews may be because patients are left on stretchers in the emergency department’s corridor, where they frequently wait for a bed for up to two days in an area one worker compared to “Times Square.”  The workers said they believe the hospital’s decision to stop using its emergency department waiting room around 2016 began a domino effect.  The move — known as “split flow” and considered a best practice — was implemented by Mount Sinai Health System after a number of incidents in which patients died in hospital waiting rooms. Among them was a man who died in 2014 after waiting eight hours to see a doctor at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx  Under the current system, each patient goes straight into the ER regardless of their condition. While that means patients are seen by a doctor within half an hour, workers said the move overloads the system, given the lack of staff and beds.  A Mount Sinai nurse told The Post: “I’ve had several situations, including a patient whose hemoglobin was 3, which means they [virtually] had no blood pumping through their veins.”  “But because it was so busy and because of delays in the lab because they had a lot of blood work, they did not discover it until several hours later, and that can be very dangerous.”  The patient survived, she said.  A nurse who quit in December said, “I’m embarrassed that this is the care we’re giving patients, especially sick ones.”  “I went in there being very optimistic and very caring and wanting to help and loving my career, to leaving there hating the business of being a nurse.’’


npr--2019-04-02--Hospitals Look To Nursing Homes To Help Stop Drug-Resistant Infections

Hospitals Look To Nursing Homes To Help Stop Drug-Resistant Infections  Hospitals and nursing homes in California and Illinois are testing a surprisingly simple strategy to stop the dangerous, antibiotic-resistant superbugs that kill thousands of people each year: washing patients with a special soap.  The efforts — funded with roughly $8 million from the federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — are taking place at 50 facilities in those two states.  This novel collaboration recognizes that superbugs don't remain isolated in one hospital or nursing home but move quickly through a community, said Dr. John Jernigan, who directs the CDC's office on health care-acquired infection research.  "No health care facility is an island," Jernigan says. "We all are in this complicated network."  At least 2 million people in the U.S. become infected with some type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year, and about 23,000 die from those infections, according to the CDC.  People in hospitals are vulnerable to these bugs, and people in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable. Up to 15 percent of hospital patients and 65 percent of nursing home residents harbor drug-resistant organisms, though not all of them will develop an infection, says Dr. Susan Huang, who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of California, Irvine.  "Superbugs are scary and they are unabated," Huang says. "They don't go away."  Some of the most common bacteria in health care facilities are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, often called "nightmare bacteria." E.Coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae are two common germs that can fall into this category when they become resistant to last-resort antibiotics known as carbapenems. CRE bacteria cause an estimated 600 deaths each year, according to the CDC.  CRE have "basically spread widely" among health care facilities in the Chicago region, says Dr. Michael Lin, an infectious-diseases specialist at Rush University Medical Center, who is heading the CDC-funded effort there. "If MRSA is a superbug, this is the extreme — the super superbug."  Containing the dangerous bacteria has been a challenge for hospitals and nursing homes. As part of the CDC effort, doctors and health care workers in Chicago and Southern California are using the antimicrobial soap chlorhexidine, which has been shown to reduce infections when patients bathe with it.  Though hospital intensive care units frequently rely on chlorhexidine in preventing infections, it is used less commonly for bathing in nursing homes. Chlorhexidine also is sold over the counter; the FDA noted in 2017 it has caused rare but severe allergic reactions.  In Chicago, researchers are working with 14 nursing homes and long-term acute care hospitals, where staff are screening people for the CRE bacteria at admission and bathing them daily with chlorhexidine.  The Chicago project, which started in 2017 and ends in September, includes a campaign to promote hand-washing and increased communication among hospitals about which patients carry the drug-resistant organisms.  The infection-control protocol was new to many nursing homes, which don't have the same resources as hospitals, Lin says.  In fact, three-quarters of nursing homes in the U.S. received citations for infection-control problems over a four-year period, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis, and the facilities with repeat citations almost never were fined. Nursing home residents often are sent back to hospitals because of infections.  In California, health officials are closely watching the CRE bacteria, which are less prevalent there than elsewhere in the country, and they are trying to prevent CRE from taking hold, says Dr. Matthew Zahn, medical director of epidemiology at the Orange County Health Care Agency  "We don't have an infinite amount of time," Zahn says. "Taking a chance to try to make a difference in CRE's trajectory now is really important."  The CDC-funded project in California is based in Orange County, where 36 hospitals and nursing homes are using the antiseptic wash along with an iodine-based nose swab. The goal is to prevent new people from getting drug-resistant bacteria and keep the ones who already have the bacteria on their skin or elsewhere from developing infections, says Huang, who is leading the project.  Huang kicked off the project by studying how patients move among different hospitals and nursing homes in Orange County — she discovered they do so far more than previously thought. That prompted a key question, she says: "What can we do to not just protect our patients but to protect them when they start to move all over the place?"  Her previous research showed that patients who were carriers of MRSA bacteria on their skin or in their nose, for example, who, for six months, used chlorhexidine for bathing and as a mouthwash, and swabbed their noses with a nasal antibiotic were able to reduce their risk of developing a MRSA infection by 30 percent. But all the patients in that study, published in February in the New England Journal of Medicine, already had been discharged from hospitals.  Now the goal is to target patients still in hospitals or nursing homes and extend the work to CRE. The traditional hospitals participating in the new project are focusing on patients in intensive care units and those who already carry drug-resistant bacteria, while the nursing homes and the long-term acute care hospitals perform the cleaning — also called "decolonizing" — on every resident.  One recent morning at Coventry Court Health Center, a nursing home in Anaheim, Calif., 94-year-old Neva Shinkle sat patiently in her wheelchair. Licensed vocational nurse Joana Bartolome swabbed her nose and asked if she remembered what it did.  "That's right. It protects you from infection."  In a nearby room, senior project coordinator Raveena Singh from UCI talked with Caridad Coca, 71, who had recently arrived at the facility. She explained that Coca would bathe with the chlorhexidine rather than regular soap. "If you have some kind of open wound or cut, it helps protect you from getting an infection," Singh said. "And we are not just protecting you, one person. We protect everybody in the nursing home."  Coca said she had a cousin who had spent months in the hospital after getting MRSA. "Luckily, I've never had it," she said.  Coventry Court administrator Shaun Dahl says he was eager to participate because people were arriving at the nursing home carrying MRSA or other bugs. "They were sick there and they are sick here," Dahl says.  Results from the Chicago project are pending. Preliminary results of the Orange County project, which ends in May, show that it seems to be working, Huang says. After 18 months, researchers saw a 25 percent decline in drug-resistant organisms in nursing home residents, 34 percent in patients of long-term acute care hospitals and 9 percent in traditional hospital patients. The most dramatic drops were in CRE, though the number of patients with that type of bacteria was smaller.  The preliminary data also show a promising ripple effect in facilities that aren't part of the effort, a sign that the project may be starting to make a difference in the county, says Zahn of the Orange County Health Care Agency.  "In our community, we have seen an increase in antimicrobial-resistant infections," he says. "This offers an opportunity to intervene and bend the curve in the right direction."  Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit news service and editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.