Leadership | 03.18.20
Healthcare Workers Concerned for Safety as Coronavirus Cases Rise
by NAMSS Staff
Modern Healthcare (03/06/20) Johnson, Steven Ross
The risk of infection among healthcare workers is rising as the coronavirus continues to spread. In California earlier this month, at least 50 healthcare workers were sent home after coming into contact with infected patients. In Washington state, multiple healthcare workers have been put under observation. Such cases have prompted healthcare labor unions to call for hospitals and federal health officials to develop better approaches to prevent exposure to healthcare workers. "There's a lot that can be done that's not necessarily being done," remarked Sean Wherley of the Services Employees International Union-United Workers West. "Some hospitals are better when they have setup operations where they have involved workers upfront." Wherley's group has called on hospitals to ensure they have enough supplies of personal protective equipment and to develop quicker methods to assess and isolate patients suspected of being infected.
Read the full story from Modern Healthcare.