C. diff, or Clostridioides difficile, is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, endosporic, toxigenic, opportunistic, bacillus. Its scientific description makes it sound like a pretty standard bacteria. But this bacteria "causes almost half a million infections in the United States each year" according to the CDC. November is C. diff Awareness Month so stick with us all month to learn more about this microorganism and the unique attributes that make it so lethal. Today’s post will explore the basic definition of Clostridioides difficile. First, let’s unpack that long list of terms mentioned above.
Erica Mitchell
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Every successful organization, from a small grassroots group to a global corporation, has a way for ideas to percolate through the system and find their way to the top decision-makers. Human ingenuity can come from anywhere, including cost-saving ideas (the matchbox), ways to attract new demographics (Flamin' Hot Cheetos), retain current customers (Starbucks), and of course, launch completely new products (PlayStation). From our last post, we know that hospitals and healthcare systems allocate their budgets in advance, with limited protocols for integrating innovations. How can the individual with an idea get that innovation in front of the right people at the right time, and of course, in the right way? In today's post, we'll explore one method to get you there.
Hospital finances are a complex process, involving all the parts of a service provider, a retail business, an investment venture, and a non-profit organization. Investment in medical innovations require buy-in from anyone (and everyone) from physicians and nurses all the way to the CFO and CEO. In today's post, we will introduce a series on the topic of how hospitals budget and spend money, and how an individual employee can use that information in order to bring an innovative idea to the right person at the right time.
There are countless contributors to the world of medicine who share Hispanic/Latino backgrounds, but there are a few noteworthy individuals whose work has been instrumental in advancing the fields of epidemiology and infectious disease prevention and treatment. In today's post, we will look at one of those key figures and his vital scientific legacy, Dr. Carlos Juan Finlay.
As we move into the last week of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we will turn our attention to the unique healthcare challenges faced by Hispanic/Latino Americans. Hispanic/Latino Americans are a very large (and growing) minority group, making up almost 20% of the US population. Within that group are multi-generational Americans, long-term residents (78% have lived in the US more than a decade) and recent immigrants, English-only speakers, bilingual speakers, and Spanish-only speakers, citizens (81%) and non-citizens. No single healthcare statistic applies to the diverse group of individuals, so in today's post, we will look at the most critical healthcare issues and what steps are being taken to reach the most vulnerable individuals, specifically, the use of promotores de salud, or community health workers.
Healthcare and Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15): 5+ Great Resources
by Erica Mitchell | October 2 2023
The weeks between mid-September and mid-October has been National Hispanic Heritage Month since the late 1980s. During this month, the nation takes time to recognize the important role played by American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central/South America. The 2023 theme is "Todos Somos, Somos Unos: We Are All, We Are One!" capturing the idea that in spite of our unique backgrounds, we are all intertwined and united by our shared humanity. In today's post, we'll share 5 resources you can use to explore or share the many contributions from Hispanic/Latino individuals in the fields of healthcare, infection prevention, and epidemiology.
To recognize MRSA Awareness Month through October, here are 5 critical facts about MRSA that everyone needs to know.
The PCAST Patient Safety Report Unpacked (Part 2): All About Evidence-Based Solutions
by Erica Mitchell | September 25 2023
In our last post, we introduced the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report on patient safety. Today we will focus on how hospital-associated infections are specifically addressed in the report and the report's emphasis on evidence based solutions to address HAIs and other preventable harm to patients.