The BCU will be participating in two large-scale preparedness activities in April. On April 5, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) will host a Region 3 tabletop exercise at Johns Hopkins to simulate the transport and transfer to Johns Hopkins of out-of-state patients infected with Ebola virus or other high consequence pathogens. […]
Patient Care

Endoscopy Excels in Patient Experience and Employee Engagement Scores
Posted by kbennett | Congratulations, Patient Care*Pictured above: Patricia Gent and Sarah Disney The Endoscopy Unit within the Division of Gastroenterology has been hard at work improving conditions for both patients and employees and the results show. The most recent Gallop survey for patient experience and employee engagement shows a .6 increase in scores, which is especially significant since even a […]
Mar 21, 2016

The Move to Meyer
Posted by kbennett | Administration, Patient Care, Vice Chair ContributorsAfter the successful renovation of the Nelson building, the hospital has been busy renovating the 7th, 8th and 9th floors of the Meyer building. In the fall of 2016, patient rooms and some offices currently housed on Halsted 2, 3 and 4 and Osler 2 will move to the Meyer building. Meyer 7 will house the […]
Mar 17, 2016

One Minute Guide to: Clostridium Difficile Testing
Posted by kbennett | Patient CareUpdates in C Diff: Rapid Review of the 2018 IDSA Guidelines Q: Should I send stool for C. difficile testing for all my inpatients with diarrhea? Should I retest within 7 days if the first test is negative, and should I send a test for cure? The Bottom Line: NO! Don’t test your patient for C. diff if […]
Mar 14, 2016

Gupta Reviews TB Prevention in Patients with HIV
Posted by kbennett | Patient CareAmita Gupta, associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and international health and deputy director of the Center for Clinical Global Health Education at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, discusses research related to the prevention of tuberculosis in patients with HIV. According to Gupta, “HIV is your number one risk factor for developing active […]
Mar 7, 2016

The Sepsis Core Measure
Posted by kbennett | Administration, Patient Care, Vice Chair ContributorsOn October 1, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission (TJC) launched a Sepsis Core Measure for all 4000 Joint Commission-accredited U.S. hospitals. Core Measures are evidence-based process measures to reduce morbidity and mortality. Well-known examples include inpatient pneumococcal vaccination, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis requirements and achieving quick door-to-balloon time […]
Mar 3, 2016

Welcome to BCU update!
Posted by kbennett | Patient CareThis is where we will keep you updated on the Johns Hopkins Hospital Biocontainment Unit news, events and activities. The unit officially opened on May 20, 2015, and has activated on three occasions: once for a patient in isolation and twice to run laboratory tests on potential patients. Shortly after opening, the Johns Hopkins Hospital […]
Feb 23, 2016

Bleary-eyed doctors may be better for patients
Posted by kbennett | Education, Patient CareLet's say your mother requires a colon resection due to a small cancer and has to be admitted to one of two hospitals in town. Both are well-respected teaching hospitals full of surgery residents - young doctors who have recently completed medical school and are training under the supervision of experienced surgeons. In both hospitals, […]
Feb 22, 2016
Partnering with Patients in Decision-Making: Continuing the Conversation at Johns Hopkins
Posted by kbennett | Leadership, Patient CarePartnering with Patients in Decision-Making: Continuing the Conversation at Johns Hopkins will take place on June 1, 2016, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Owens Auditorium in the Cancer Research Building. Open to all, this meeting will feature discussions of clinical, educational and research approaches to decision making in the Johns Hopkins Medicine […]
Feb 19, 2016

GBR II – What’s next?
Posted by kbennett | Administration, Patient CareThe new Global Budget Revenue (GBR) agreements seem to be working. Initial statewide data show hospital volume is declining and quality is improving. We are now entering year three of a five-year demonstration project with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of the waiver modernization program. So what’s next? One of […]
Feb 18, 2016