UC San Diego Health opens state’s first accredited ED for seniors
UC San Diego Health has opened California’s first accredited emergency care unit aimed at addressing the unique needs of senior patients.
The geriatric emergency department features lighting and architectural features suited to patients over age 65, including waiting room chairs with sturdy arms and legs to assist with sitting and standing. It also has improved acoustics, to reduce disorienting noise, and contrasting wall and floor colors to reduce fall risk.
The unit also features a nurse station that's visible from all rooms and a private lounge for caregivers.
“Senior patients face common complications, such as being at a high risk for falls and cognitive and memory problems,” Ted Chan, M.D., chair of the system’s department of emergency medicine, said. “All patients in the [unit] are treated by a team with special training in geriatric medicine, including pharmacists to manage medications and social workers to ensure a smooth transition home upon discharge.” (Announcement)
CDC warns of drug-resistant infection risk at Mexican hospital
Several U.S. patients who traveled to a Tijuana hospital for surgery contracted an antibiotic-resistant infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC says travelers should avoid visiting Grand View Hospital for surgery until the Mexican government finds the underlying cause of the outbreak. The hospital was closed until further notice.
Most of the patients identified had traveled to Tijuana for weight loss surgery. The infection, Pseudomonas aeuroginosa, is rare in the United States and may be difficult to treat. It’s linked to dangerous hospital-acquired conditions like sepsis and ventilator-associated pneumonia. (Announcement)
Jefferson Health may purchase Temple’s Fox Chase Cancer Center
Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University and Temple University have entered into an agreement to investigate the sale of Temple’s Fox Chase Cancer Center to Jefferson Health.
The two universities will negotiate and discuss a potential deal over 90 days, they announced. The health systems want to determine if the sale of Fox Chase would lead to improved cancer care, as Jefferson Health already operates another regional cancer center: Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.
The discussions will also include talk on Temple selling its interest in regional managed care insurer Health Partners Plans.
“This negotiation period will allow us to better understand how partnering could improve lives for patients throughout Philadelphia and far beyond,” Stephen Klasko, M.D., CEO of Jefferson Health, said. (Announcement)
Massachusetts man sentenced to 10 years in prison for cyberattack on Boston Children’s Hospital
A Massachusetts man who carried out a cyberattack against Boston Children’s Hospital in protest of a high-profile custody battle involving a teenage girl will spend a decade in prison.
Martin Gottesfeld, 34, launched the 2014 attack, which disrupted the hospital’s servers for two weeks on behalf of online group Anonymous in response to the custody dispute involving Connecticut teenager Justina Pelletier.
Pelletier was in treatment for a rare mitochondrial disease, but Boston Children’s doctors said her symptoms were instead psychological, which led to her being made a ward of the state.
Gottesfeld will also have to pay nearly $443,000 in restitution. (Reuters)