Knowing where germs live and thrive is important for infection control in healthcare. When you understand where germs live and how they can spread from place to place and make people sick, the infection control actions you take to keep them from spreading become second nature.
How Do Germs Spread?
Germs must be moved from person to person, place to place, or between places and people for them to potentially get someone sick. When you’re thinking about the risk for germs to spread in healthcare, the first step is to think through where germs live. A “reservoir” is a place where germs live and thrive. Like a habitat. Reservoirs can be in the human body – the skin, the gastrointestinal system, the respiratory system, including the nose, throat, and lungs, and the ...
Did you know that our health is influenced by many non-medical factors? That’s right. The conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age – known as non-medical drivers of health – can greatly help or harm our health. As a result, more healthcare facilities are screening patients for non-medical drivers of health through written questionnaires or verbal questions. Screenings can cover a variety of topics, such as mental and financial health and access to healthy food, transportation, and affordable medication. Non-medical drivers of health screenings can help medical providers better understand and address patients’ social needs, which can be beneficial for overlooked patients who face health differences, such as Latinos. If patients screen positive for ...
Latinos face a variety of inequities that contribute to poor health, including disproportionate rates of police brutality, housing instability, and financial hardship. These inequities are rooted in racially biased systems and structures that foster the unequal treatment of Latinos and other people of color. News institutions play a powerful role in shaping conversations around racial/ethnic equity, but a new study by the Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) in collaboration with UnidosUS shows that Latinos are underrepresented in news coverage on this topic. Let’s explore the implications of Latinos being underrepresented in racial/ethnic equity news, and how to best showcase the contributions, challenges, and needs of Latinos among policymakers, racial equity advocates, and ...
Water is used a lot in healthcare, and in a lot of different ways. For example, water is used in sinks, faucets, ice machines, drains, toilets, and therapy pools. While water is needed in healthcare settings, certain germs, especially some bacteria, can grow on wet surfaces. If you get harmful germs from water and wet surfaces on your hands, they can spread to other surfaces, devices, and people that you touch. These germs can cause illness in some people, like in patients with weakened immune systems. Additionally, if medical instruments and equipment, like devices or central lines, get wet, they can start growing bacteria. That bacteria can then get into a patient’s blood, or other parts of their body, and make them sick.
Why Do Germs Grow on Wet Surfaces?
Although tap ...
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of paid sick leave (PSL) policies in the workforce. Unfortunately, 21% of America’s working population still does not have access to PSL three years after the initial COVID-19 outbreak, according to Change Lab Solutions. Here’s why PSL continues to be so important, and how advocates can work toward achieving local, state, and national PSL policies that promote the health of Latinos and all people.
What Does Paid Sick Leave Look Like in America?
Shockingly, the US is one of only three high-income countries in the world without any form of national paid sick leave, according to Change Lab Solutions. The need for PSL for all Americans is stronger than ever, especially as government leaders end various pandemic-era public ...
A nutritious diet is essential for good health. But many overlooked populations, such as Latinos, struggle to access and afford healthy food. To help, we need to know where to start. Fortunately, a new tool, the Food [Fairness] Opportunity Map, highlights healthy food access issues across the country to show where improving access would make the greatest impact. “Together, we can build community health through improving food [fairness], but only if we first understand where that work is most needed. That’s why we launched the Food [Fairness] Opportunity Map,” according to the creators of the map, Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), a national nonprofit organization focused on health fairness, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Mapping Food Fairness and ...
In January 2023, the Biden-Harris administration released a Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights. The purpose of the blueprint is to support a well-functioning, fair housing market for renters and all of society, which is important for Latinos who struggle with access to affordable housing. Let’s explore the blueprint and its five principles that “create a shared baseline for fairness” for Latino and all renters, according to the White House.
Blueprint Principle 1: Safe, Quality, Accessible, and Affordable Housing
Where you live affects your health. Renters should have access to safe, quality housing in neighborhoods that meet their health needs, including access to green spaces, reliable public transportation, and nutritious food. In addition, quality housing must ...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Project Firstline has expanded its Spanish translation of infection control resources. This content follows the prior Spanish release of Project Firstline’s Facilitator Toolkit with training session plans and accompanying PowerPoint slides, designed to help healthcare workers with different learning styles and busy schedules facilitate infection control trainings.
What’s Included in The New Spanish-Language Resources?
Spanish-speaking healthcare professionals can now access a variety of educational materials on infection control, including additional training toolkits on several topics: Introduction to Reservoirs: Where Microbes Live
Risk Identification Using Reservoirs Printable materials and job aids on ...
Studies show that community health workers (CHWs) can help address a variety of health differences in vulnerable populations, such as Latinos. A new study, published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, adds to this growing body of evidence. Let’s look at the findings of this study and why CHWs, also known as promotoras de salud and patient navigators, are increasingly recognized for their critical role in increasing healthcare access for medically overlooked populations.
The Impact of CHWs on Heart Health
The new study, conducted by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, examined high blood pressure differences in New York’s South Asian American population. This population faces similar challenges as Latinos in accessing healthcare, ...
