Articles by: Waste Medic

What are Top Challenges of Regulated Medical Waste Management?

Medical waste management is a crucial aspect of healthcare that helps to ensure the safe disposal of potentially infectious or hazardous materials. It plays a vital role in protecting communities from the spread of diseases and reducing environmental impact, as well as minimizing the risk of cross-contamination and other health hazards associated with improper disposal. However, the management of medical waste comes with various challenges that can be difficult to overcome. Waste Medic is here […]

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The Top Items on 5 Chief Medical Officers’ To-Do Lists

Chief Medical Officers across the country know employee burnout, medication shortages and respiratory infections, among a wealth of other challenges, have created the not-so-perfect storm in hospitals. Richard Shannon, MD, chief quality officer at Duke Health in Raleigh, N.C., told Becker’s something has to give or clinicians will continue to react to overwhelming working conditions “with their feet,” referring to the several recent nurses’ strikes at New York hospitals. The main thing clinical leaders can […]

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Addressing 3 Pandemic-Induced Integrity Challenges Related to Telehealth

Prior to the pandemic, claims fraud, waste and abuse (FWA) was a priority issue for health plans aiming to improve both care quality and the member experience. But, accelerated by the pandemic, health plans are now grappling with compounding operational challenges — from aberrant services related to COVID-19 diagnoses, to service shifts, to uncontrolled telehealth expansion and, of course, labor shortages. These converging challenges has brought a sense of urgency to the need for a […]

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An Introduction to Bioplastics in Medical Applications

From medical blisters to body implants, bioplastics are extensively used in the healthcare sector. They have been considered as potential materials for tools and products used in medicine. The market for medical plastics is expected to be worth nearly $80 billion in 2021 and account for about 2% of the 370,000 tonnes of polymers sold worldwide. Given the high risk involved with human life, the material choice for healthcare applications is a crucial factor. The introduction […]

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Sharps Safety Guidelines from Infection Control Today

With the start of a new year, it is a great time remind to health care workers, waste management workers, laboratory staff, and others to practice sharps safety and follow safety protocols. According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), it is estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick injuries and other percutaneous injuries occur annually among health care workers. Punctures and cuts can introduce bloodborne pathogens into the body, such as hepatitis B virus (HPV), […]

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Medical Waste Disposal – The Definitive Guide

Medical waste and its proper disposal remain a major concern for America. Here are the primary reasons: The safety of healthcare patients and personnel, as well as the legal obligation in handling the waste Environmentalists are concerned with the impact of medical waste, whether it’s wasting up on a beach in Jersey Shore or being illegally dumped in landfill sites Home producers of medical waste, such as needles and syringes that want to dispose of their tools properly What […]

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Answered: Who Regulates Medical Waste?

Since the 1988 Medical Waste Tracking Act Expired in 1991 Medical waste is primarily regulated by state environmental and health departments. EPA has not had authority, specifically for medical waste, since the Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA) of 1988 expired in 1991. It is important to contact your state environmental program first when disposing of medical waste. Contact your state environmental protection agency and your state health agency for more information regarding your state’s regulations […]

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Biodegradable Medical Gowns May Add to Greenhouse Gas

The use of disposable plasticized medical gowns – both conventional and biodegradable – has surged since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Landfills now brim with them. Because the biodegradable version decomposes faster than conventional gowns, popular wisdom held that it offers a greener option by less space use and chronic emissions in landfills. That wisdom may be wrong. Biodegradable medical gowns actually introduce harsh greenhouse gas discharge problems, according to new research published Dec. […]

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Michael Dowling: 6 Ground Rules for Hospital Cost Cutting

A difficult year for hospital and health system finances brought with it renewed attention to expenditures. Scrutinizing costs is a job that should be done with the same amount of precision and care as your top surgeons in the OR, because one mistaken move can cause several complications and long-term damage. Any time I’m faced with the issue of reviewing cost reduction strategies, I like to keep a few principles in mind to guide my […]

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Providers Warned about Preparing for New HIPAA Regs

Long-term care providers who have had their attention diverted by pandemic and other urgent matters need to start preparing for new HIPAA requirements as soon as possible, a pair of health-records experts stressed at the PointClickCare CONNECT@SUMMIT 2022. The complexity of demands on providers will ramp up considerably and there is little time to waste devising new plans and processes, noted Jayne Warwick, a one-time facility director of operations and currently the senior director of […]

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