MNA NewsScan, March 4, 2013: Chasm between boardroom and bedside; MRSA quirks

NOTES ON NURSING

Study:  Management Not in Tune with Quality Improvement   It appears that while hospital management asserts that patient-centred care is important and invests in patient satisfaction and patient experience surveys, our findings suggest that the majority do not have a structured plan for promoting improvement of patient satisfaction and engaging clinicians in the process.

HEALTH CARE

Kids, Seniors Prone to MRSA Infections Depending on Season   Children have a greater risk for infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in summer while seniors have a greater risk in winter, according to the study published online Feb. 28 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Medical Arms Race:  What’s Mayo Competing Against?    Some of Mayo’s rivals are expanding their local footprint and others are following Mayo’s lead and building facilities abroad. That’s part of the reason Mayo officials say they need to move quickly to stay competitive.

A Lesson Plan for Life – Health Clinics Showing up in School Districts    Two east-metro school districts are joining a growing group of organizations betting that providing their employees with easy access to on-site health care will mean lower insurance costs.

OpEd:  For Minnesota Health System, Landmark Legislation   While Minnesota is indeed best-served by a state-run exchange — a point on which there’s widespread consensus among medical providers, insurers and the business community — the regrettable political fault lines should be a reminder of how poorly the political process here has served individual consumers and eligible small businesses that can voluntarily begin using the exchange website this fall to select coverage.

Hospitals Oust Sugary Lattes and Sodas   Starting this weekend, you can forget about buying a vanilla latte or a Mountain Dew at Grand Itasca Hospital in Grand Rapids, Minn. It’s become the second medical center in Minnesota — after St. Luke’s in Duluth — to ban the sale of sugary beverages.

LABOR UPDATES

West Metro Grocery Workers Approve Contract    The nearly 10,000 members of United Food and Commercial Worker’s Local 653 voted to approve a one-year contract after bargaining began in early February.