Author: James

Study Illustrates Connection Between Overworked Nurses, Infections: Could NJ Hospitals Be At Risk?
Richard P. Console Jr
August 31,2012

A recent study highlighting a dangerous trend among hospital nurses has many Marlton medical malpractice attorneys concerned as to how this is affecting New Jersey hospitals. The study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, found that for every additional patient that is added to a nurse’s workload there was one additional hospital-acquired infection (per 1,000 patients). What this study seems to suggest is that the more overworked and overloaded the nurse is, the greater the chance that a patient will develop an infection while in that hospital.

According to an NBC report the study highlighted that, “The nurses cared for an average of 5.7 patients apiece, and when even one extra patient was added to that load, the result was an additional 1,351 infections within the hospital population studied.”

This is not an issue that is exclusive to one location. It seems to be occurring all of the country, including New Jersey. The data on hospital-acquired infections was collected from throughout Pennsylvania and then combined with national data.

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) keeps detailed records of incidents occurring in hospitals both good and bad. One section of their annual report addresses patient safety indicators (PSIs), or the occurrence of dangerous incidents, for each hospital in the state.

In their 2011 report, they showed that Virtua-West Jersey Hospital in Marlton was higher than the state average for occurrences of post-operative wound dehiscence (where a wound breaks open along a suture putting the patient at an increased risk for infection), post-operative hemorrhage or hematoma (abnormal or excessive bleeding), and post-operative pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis (two serious types of blood clots).

Virtua-West was also rated by the Leap Frog Group in their 2011 Hospital Safety Score and that showed that they had a higher than average occurrence of central line-associated bloodstream infections, which occur when a central line placed in a patient’s neck or chest is not inserted or cleaned properly. Although the study had a section to report on employees and employee practices, Virtua-West Marlton did not disclose this information.

Taking into consideration the information from the recent study, is there a problem with the amount of patients being assigned to each nurse that could be causing an increase in infections? Hospitals have an obligation to their patients not to cause further harm or injury to them while under the hospital’s care. Failure to do so be it through medical error or instances of malpractice may entitle the victim or their family to seek monetary compensation for the resulting injuries.

It is important that all patients receive accepted medical care in a safe and clean environment. If you or someone you love developed a serious infection or suffered other harm as the result of medical error, speak with knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys in New Jersey today.

Links:
Marlton medical malpractice lawyers: https://www.consoleandhollawell.com/pages/virtua-west-jersey-hospital-marlton-medical-malpractice-lawsuits/
NBC report: https://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/30/12994989-burned-out-nurses-linked-to-more-infections-in-patients?lite
2011 report: https://web.doh.state.nj.us/apps2/hpr/docs/2011/report.pdf
2011 Hospital Safety Score: https://hospitalsafetyscore.org/hospital-details.html?location_id=1537
medical malpractice attorneys in New Jersey: https://www.consoleandhollawell.com/new-jersey/medical-malpractice-lawyers/

Take the train to the Giants Cowboys Game tonight at MetLife Stadium
September 5,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

MetLife Stadium Information Public Transportation

Ridgewood NJ, MetLife Stadium encourages all ticket holders to consider taking mass transit to Giants football games. Ticket holders who have used the following mass transit options have found them to be easy and convenient.

NJ Transit Rail Service : The new rail system connects the northeast corridor to the Frank R. Lautenberg train station in Secaucus, N.J., which allows fans from the region to quickly and efficiently reach the MetLife Stadium.

The rail station is located next to MetLife Stadium and the travel time between the Secaucus Junction train station and the Stadium station is approximately 10 minutes. The round-trip fare from Secaucus to MetLife Stadium is $4.50. Rail service commences three (3) hours prior to kickoff and ends two (2) hours after the game. For more information, please visit NJTransit.com.

From Ridgewood Train station Take either Main line or Bergen County Line train and switch at Frank R. Lautenberg train station in Secaucus to MetLife Stadium.

There is also bus transportation via either Route 163 or 164 , but due to traffic we highly recommend the rail road .

State Board of Education : Christie administration launching new turnaround strategies for low-performing schools

What they are doing: For the first week of school in most New Jersey districts, the State Board of Education takes up a host of major policy issues, including a crowded session of public testimony. On the agenda are charter schools, teacher quality, and interdistrict school choice. With the Christie administration launching new turnaround strategies for low-performing schools, its new staffing and other programs for these schools may also come up.   (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/0904/2335/

 

Prevent Mosquito-borne West Nile Virus

The Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health are urging state residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito-borne West

Nile Virus by taking some simple steps to reduce populations of the insect on their own properties.

Late summer and early fall are typically the most critical times of the year to be aware of the potential for the dangers of contracting West Nile Virus from mosquito bites. Mosquito activity can continue until late October. Mosquitoes also can become more active throughout the entire day at this time of year.

Concerns are elevated this year because of increased mosquito activity due to weather conditions that have been ripe for mosquito breeding, and which could increase the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile virus.

The DEP offers the following tips on how to limit mosquitoes on your property:

Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers that have accumulated on your property. Pay special attention to discarded tires that may have accumulated. The used tire has become the most important domestic mosquito producer in this country. Drill holes in the bottom and elevate recycling containers that are left out of doors. Clean clogged roof gutters on an annual basis, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug up the drains. Roof gutters are easily overlooked but can produce millions of mosquitoes each season. Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use. A wading pool becomes a mosquito producer if it is not used on a regular basis. Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in bird baths. Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens are fashionable but become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate. Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used. A swimming pool that is left untended can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints. Be aware mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on pool covers. Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property. Mosquitoes will develop in any puddle that lasts more than four days. Maintain mechanical barriers, such as window and door screens, to prevent mosquitoes from entering buildings. Barriers over rain barrels or cistern and septic pipes will deny female mosquitoes the opportunity to lay eggs on water. If you have problems controlling mosquitoes, contact your county mosquito control agency by calling 888-666-5968.

Anti-Business New Jersey:  job picture gets grimmer

N.J. job picture gets grimmer

The percentage of New Jerseyans working or looking for work has retreated to 1980s levels.

The current share of residents employed — now fewer than three in every five — was last this low in 1983, mirroring national figures.

And more than one-third of employable New Jerseyans have stopped looking for work, the highest level since the mid-80s.

For economists, those figures have significance for one historic reason: The last time so many people were sitting out of the workforce, many women were still choosing to stay at home rather than go out to work.

The social change that brought more women into the job market swelled the state workforce the past 30 years — and the problem isn’t that they left. The reasons for the downward trend in the percentage of residents employed may now be fueled by changing demographics — more old and young residents even as the population grows, and more who are struggling to train for available jobs.  (Fletcher, The Record)

https://www.northjersey.com/news/168298656_N_J__labor_rate_on_steady_downward_trend.html

September 11 Remembrance in Ridgewood

Ridgewood will remember the 12 lost at the World Trade Center in 2001 with the Portrait Exhibit displayed at the Ridgewood Public Library for the month of September.

This exhibit provides a special place to come and reflect.

Mt. Carmel Catholic Church will hold a Mass at 7:30PM on September 11th. The Mayor will participate by reading a Proclamation from the Village Council.

photos by Boyd Loving

Suspicious Package at Bank Results In Road Closure and Evacuations
September 4,2012
Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ, An abandoned briefcase in front of the Capital One Bank on East Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood resulted in a response by the Bergen County Police Department’s Bomb Squad late this afternoon. After receiving a 911 telephone call from a bank employee reporting the suspicious package, Ridgewood Police and Fire Department personnel closed a section of busy East Ridgewood Avenue and evacuated several nearby apartments, offices, and stores as they awaited arrival of the County’s explosive ordinance team.

photos by Boyd Loving

An x-ray machine was used to determine the briefcase was empty; the “all clear” was given just after 5:00 PM and the road was opened shortly thereafter.  Ridgewood PD personnel on the scene were under the command of Captain Jacqueline Luthke.  Ridgewood Fire Chief James Van Goor was the incident commander for fire department personnel.

Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

RHS grad told us, “Maybe things have really changed but am I the only one who cant believe anyone actually ate the “crap”  they serve in the cafeteria ? That stuff was just awfull””

Back to School: School lunches get a big makeover in North Jersey and nation
Tuesday, September 4, 2012    Last updated: Tuesday September 4, 2012, 1:07 PM
BY  SACHI FUJIMORI
STAFF WRITER
The Record

When North Jersey students line up in the cafeteria this week, they’ll notice their lunch trays are loaded with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

In the biggest change to school lunch menus in 15 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is imposing a new set of nutrition standards. The most drastic changes include requiring each student to have a piece of fruit or serving of vegetables on his/her tray, at least half of the grains served have to be whole grains, and milk has to be fat-free or low-fat.

Holly Goshin, a Glen Rock mom of two Hamilton Elementary School students, applauds the healthy upgrade, but she doesn’t expect her daughters to embrace the produce. “My kids are still stuck in kids food: the chicken nuggets and French toast. If there’s a vegetable on the tray, it’s not likely going to be consumed by my child,” said Goshin.

But she hopes the more healthy meals will set an example for them in the future, when their tastes mature. “If they see a balanced meal, it’s modeling for them. But I hate to waste food,” she said.

Her girls buy school lunches about half of the time, and enjoy the popcorn chicken, pizza and meatballs with sauce, she said.

The reforms that take effect this month are part of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act championed by first lady Michelle Obama and her campaign to reduce childhood obesity. Some 32 million children nationwide participate in school lunch programs every day.

…Angelo DeSimone, the assistant superintendent for business for Ridgewood‘s school district, is concerned that portion size and calorie restrictions may leave some of his students hungry. “What I worry about is portion control. A 200-pound football player is not going to be satisfied with the same sandwich the 80-pound cheerleader gets,” he said. He also worries more of his students will flock off campus for lunch. “It could hurt our program,” he said….

https://www.northjersey.com/news/168423726_School_lunches_get_a_big_makeover_in_North_Jersey_and_nation.html

Box Office Report: Summer Movie Attendance Likely Lowest in Two Decades

Domestic box office revenues also are down from last summer despite blockbusters “The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises.”

The number of people going to the movies dipped noticeably in North America this summer, putting increased pressure on the final four months of 2012 to bolster the bottom line.

According to preliminary estimates, 533.5 million tickets were sold this summer, down 4 percent from last year and the worst turnout since 1993. The lowest attendance before now came in summer 2010, when there were 534.4 tickets sold.

Total summer revenues also slipped. Initial estimates show the domestic box office generating $4.278 in billion in sales, down roughly 3 percent from last summer’s record $4.4 billion.

Final revenue and attendance figures will be released this week.

Summer 2012 was marked by dramatic highs and lows. Disney and Marvel Studios’ The Avengers, opening May 4, kicked off the season in high style, smashing records and finishing Labor Day weekend with a worldwide gross of $1.5 billion, including a domestic haul north of $620 million.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-avengers-dark-knight-rises-367595

Back to School: A TOP 10 ABBOTT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Posted on August 31, 2012, 8:00 PM

It is always nice to see New Jersey make top 10 lists. New Jersey has appeared on lists of the most taxed states, states with the highest unemployment and those with the greatest migration out of the state. Well now a New Jersey city has made a top 10 list and you are not going to believe what for.

If you are even just a casual reader of Conservative New Jersey you would have heard about the infamous Abbott School Districts. The 31 Abbott School districts have been identified as “poorer urban” or “special needs” districts. Because of this designation, the districts are entitled to the bulk of the funding that New Jersey spends on public education each year.

Now would like to hear a little secret about one of these Abbott School Districts? I thought you would. One district Hoboken has made a very exclusive top ten list, Top-Earning Towns in America.

In fiscal year 2013, an estimated $4.4 billion of a total of $7.7 billion (56.3%) in State aid will go to the 31 former- Abbott districts (which represent just over 5% of New Jersey’s nearly 600 districts).

https://conservativenewjersey.com/a-top-10-abbott-school-district