What is decontamination?

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Search the South University Online library or the Internet for information on standards and guidelines for healthcare facilities in emergency situations. You can search for accrediting agencies, emergency response plans, National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), or various real-life scenarios to aid you in answering the questions for the given scenario:
You are the administrator of a 100-bed nursing home with a special 25-bed Alzheimer’s care wing. You are told that your nursing home must be evacuated due to a possible hazardous material found close to the nursing home. As part of the standard operating procedure for the emergency management of the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), notification procedures are to be established, both internally and externally for communicating the need for evacuation.
Based on your understanding of the above topic, answer the following questions:
• What are the issues you may face in evacuating the residents? What specific needs of the Alzheimer’s patients would you need to keep in mind?
• Would your evacuation plan be different if you did not have the Alzheimer’s patients? Why or why not?
• What is the importance of ensuring there are procedures in place for communicating, both within the organization and with other entities involved in a disaster? Which internal and external entities would you notify in case of a disaster? Why?
Now, read the following statements and answer the related questions:
Decontamination of individuals exposed to a contaminant is a critical aspect of a disaster plan. However, there are no clear-cut guidelines for deciding how and when to perform the decontamination. Due to lack of any universally accepted standards related to management of specific disaster scenarios, agencies perform decontamination based on standards they have adopted. In the light of above situation, answer the following questions:
• What is decontamination? What, in your opinion, is the best way to decontaminate an individual? Why?
• When should the decontamination be done? Why?

Identify an issue currently in the news that is associated with federal, state, or local efforts to improve healthcare delivery

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Issues and trends that affect healthcare delivery are varied and arise from many different sources, such as the emergence of new technologies, changing patient and workforce demographics, and economic fluctuations. Federal, state, and local policies are continually instituted or amended to address new developments or priorities and to rectify problems in healthcare delivery. For instance, changes may be required to address cost containment challenges or disparities in access to healthcare services.
To prepare for this Discussion:
• Identify an issue currently in the news that is associated with federal, state, or local efforts to improve healthcare delivery.
• Research the issue in a variety of news sources, such as government sites (e.g., the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health) and online newspapers. Do not use blogs or other informal sources.
• Select one article or news item on which to focus for this Discussion.
• Reflect on the information in the article/news item and consider how it relates to your understanding of the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Review the information in the Resources and conduct additional research using the Walden University Library and credible websites to deepen your understanding of this issue.
• Think about the social, economic, and political circumstances surrounding this issue.
Post by Day 4 a comprehensive response to the following:
• Summarize the article/news item you selected, noting key areas for discussion.
• Explain why this issue is of interest to you.
• Explain how the issue addressed in the article/news item relates to information presented in the Resources and/or other credible sources.

Why do we have such costly health care, and is this commensurate with the value received?

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1-Why do we have such costly health care, and is this commensurate with the value received? What drives our health care costs and how can we control or reduce them while maintaining or increasing value?
2-What are the advantages and the disadvantages of comparative effectiveness research (CER)? Should the US implement a CE effort? How is the US doing as far as major recent developments affecting quality care, and providing incentive for quality care?

Specify four main features in health care organizations that can be used to design a successful quality improvement plan

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Imagine that you are a hospital administrator at the Sunlight Hospital in California. The main complaint among the patients is the quality of care. Your job is to understand the state of the hospital, create value, increase efficiency, and turn the facility into a local hospital of choice. Whenever you are making visits in various wards to meet the employees and the patients, you hear how the patients love the hospital, but they would like to see certain improvements in care. The employees seem to be very busy executing their duties and not interacting much with the patients. The hospital board has asked you to compile a report of your findings and suggested strategy for achieving the hospital’s current goals.
Write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you:
1. Classify five (5) measurements of quality of care in a hospital, and justify the major reasons why you believe these measurements matter to patients in their process of choosing a hospital for emergency or inpatient care.
2. Specify four (4) main features in health care organizations that can be used to design a successful quality improvement plan. Articulate the significant manner in which the specified features can lead to failure or success of quality of care in Sunlight Hospital.
3. Suggest the salient reasons why quality of care would add value to and create a competitive advantage for the Sunlight Hospital. Justify your response.