> While Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Children's Hospital now are mandating flu vaccines for all of their employees, 20 percent of workers at acute-care hospitals in Massachusetts refused to get a flu shot last year, reports The Republican. Article
> Several hospitals will have to start looking for new leaders. The president and CEO of Novant Health in North Carolina yesterday announced he will retire at the end of the year, as will the CEO of Vassar Brothers Medical Center in New York. The chief executive of St. John's Medical Center in Wyoming plans to retire at the end of next month.
> Safety-net hospitals play a key role in training primary care physicians who work in medically underserved areas, according to a study by the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare, reports Crain's New York Business. Article (reg. required)
> Nonverbal cues impact physician-patient encounters and medical care, according to a study in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. Doctors reported that non-verbal behaviors such as body language, eye contact, physical appearance, and tone of voice influenced their medical judgments, reports PsychCentral. Article
> In yet another story that advocates hospitals reduce noise levels to improve care, Canadian researchers found that the constant noise in the emergency room can aggravate staff and put care at risk. The study in the journal Pediatric Emergency Care compared the noise level of the ER to working near the constant hum of a freeway or having a vacuum cleaner running throughout the day. Article
And Finally... Confidence matters more than ability. Article