Involving multidisciplinary teams is an important element in reducing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine.

A free checklist to prevent patient harm from errors related to patient-controlled analgesia pumps is available from the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety.

Increasing the rate of nurses with a baccalaureate degree can save lives, according to a study in Health Affairs.

Several factors, including antibiotic exposure, are associated with a risk of relapse after testing positive for Clostridium difficile, according to a study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revised treatment guidance related to the fungal meningitis outbreak about six months ago.

Nurses have identified three major barriers to improving patient safety in their facilities, according to a survey by GE Healthcare and the American Nurses Association.

New Bern, N.C.-based CarolinaEast Health System has acquired an ear, nose and throat practice, adding four physicians to the system's ranks, according to a Sun Journal report.

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Iowa in Cedar Falls has partnered with Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa to launch an accountable care organization.

Most people are not familiar with the value hospice can provide in the last months, weeks or days of life. There is no need to be afraid of hospice, and healthcare providers should encourage their patients to consider these services.

The following deals between hospitals and physicians, including acquisitions, affiliations, leasing arrangements and joint ventures, occurred within the last two months, starting with the most recent.