CDC: Flu Season Underwhelms

According to the CDC, this year's flu season was milder and peaked later than previous years.

Typically, flu season starts around the end of the year, but in 2012 it remained low through February and only rose about the baseline for one week in March. This is the shortest and lowest peak recorded since the CDC started keeping track in 1997.

The researchers cited the mild winter, effectiveness of the flu vaccine and similarity of the influenza viruses to previous seasons as mitigating factors.

To learn more, click here.

CMS Announces Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes

CMS has announced that it will partner with states, facilities, advocacy groups and caregivers with the goal of reducing the use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes by 15% by the end of 2012.

To achieve this goal, CMS and its partners will provide:

• Enhanced training
• Increased transparency
• Alternatives to antipsychotic medications

To learn more, click here. 

CaviCide1™ Boasts a Revolutionary One-Minute TB Kill Time

Over the past five years, Metrex knocked down tuberculosis kill times from five minutes to three minutes – and now to one! CaviCide1^™ is the only one-step, low-alcohol surface disinfectant to offer a one-minute TB claim, materials compatibility and 25 other clinically relevant organism kill claims, including norovirus and A. baumannii.

CaviCide1's one-minute kill time leads to improved compliance and a decreased risk of cross contamination and its formulation is effective in killing 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and fungi. It saves valuable staff time because its ready-to-use formulation doesn't require dilution. CaviCide1 is designed for use on hard, non-porous surfaces and joins the current family of CaviCide products, including CaviCide and CaviWipes.


Professional Medical offers CaviCide1 in a 24-ounce spray as well as a refill. To learn more about how CaviCide1 can both boost efficiency and protect your residents and staff, please contact your ProMed territory manager or give us a call at 800-648-5190!

ProMed Memorial Day Closure Reminder

We wanted to remind you that Professional Medical will be closed on Monday, May 28, 2012 in honor of Memorial Day. 
All regular Monday deliveries will be made on Tuesday, May 29 and all Tuesday deliveries will be made on Wednesday, May 30. 

If you have any questions or concerns, we invite you to contact our Customer Care team at 800.648.5190.


From our team to yours, have a safe and happy Memorial Day! 

Healthcare Law Saves Medicare Recipients $3.5 Billion in Prescription Drugs

According to data released by CMS, the new healthcare law (the Affordable Care Act) saved seniors and people with disabilities $3.5 billion on prescription drugs since 2010. In the first four months of 2012 alone, more than 416,000 people saved an average of $724 on prescriptions drugs purchased after they hit the "donut hole," or prescription drug coverage gap.

Additionally, from January through April, 12.1 people in traditional Medicare received at least one preventive service at no cost.

To learn more, click here.

Congratulations, Courtney Wooge!

ProMed Territory Manager Courtney Wooge is a married man! He recently tied the knot with his new wife, Shannon. Congratulations, Courtney! (Pictured are Courtney, Shannon and their three sons, Jake, Tanner and Zach.)

Nursing Home Quality Scores Rising

According to a CMS review of data submitted to the Five-Star Quality Rating System, nursing home quality is improving. The agency saw a four percent increase in facilities that received a four-star rating and 4.1 percent  increase in facilities receiving a five-star rating. The proportion of one-star facilities fell by 7%.

The Five-Star Quality Rating System examines three areas when determining a rating: nursing home staffing, quality measures and health inspections. The top rating is five stars.

To learn more, click here.

Approximately 15% of Seniors are Food Insecure

A new study that was conducted for the Meals on Wheels Research Foundation found that nearly 15 percent of American senior citizens are "food insecure" - that is, they are at risk of hunger because of a lack of food.

Making the problem worse is that food insecurity is associated with poor health outcomes, including limitations in activities of daily living and reduced nutrient intakes.

To learn more, click here.

Z-Pak Raises Risk of Sudden Death for Some

According to a study published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, the popular antibiotic azithromycin (commonly known by its "Z-Pak" trade name) is more likely to cause sudden death in high-risk patients than another commonly used antibiotic, amoxicillin.

According to the researchers, doctors commonly prescribe the Z-Pak because of its easy regimen. Patients take pills over the course of fewer days, making it more likely they will finish all of their medication, which leads to more effective treatment and lessens the likelihood of the patient developing a drug-resistant bug.

The researchers found that azithromycin can lead to irregular heartbeats, which can potentially lead to death. According to the study, patients on azithromycin who already had a cardiovascular disease were more than twice as likely to die from a cardiovascular-related cause (such as a heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac death) while taking their medication than patients on amoxicillin.

Rather than rule out azithromycin as a treatment, the researchers urged patients to talk their doctors about the risks and benefits of taking the drug.

To learn more, click here.

Seven Ways to Fight an Overactive Bladder

Elderly people don't need to chalk up overactive bladder as something that "just happens" as they age. Here are seven tips that can help manage an overactive bladder:

1. Avoid foods that can trigger overactive bladder symptoms, such as spicy foods, chocolate and citrus fruits.
2. Cut out caffeine and artificial sweeteners, which can make you need to urinate suddenly.
3. Avoid alcohol, which stimulates the bladder.
4. Use absorbent pads and undergarments designed especially for incontinent episodes.
5. Plan ahead for road trips. Well-traveled roads are more likely to have readily available restrooms.
6. Consider timed voiding or bladder retraining. 
7. "Freeze and squeeze." If you feel that you suddenly need to go to the bathroom, sit down and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles three to five times. Once the urge is under control, walk to the restroom.

To learn more about each of these tips, click here. 

More Details on Obama Administration Alzheimer's Initiative Released

The Obama administration has released more specifics on its Alzheimer's initiative, including:

• Two new clinical trials (one will test inhalable insulin as a therapy for Alzheimer's, the other will test preventive treatments for individuals at a high risk of developing the disease)
• $2 million will be put toward educating physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers on the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's
• A new website, www.alzheimers.gov, will provide resources for those who care for people with the disease

To learn more, click here. 

Researchers: Acupuncture Eases COPD Symptoms

Japanese researchers found that acupuncture helps ease the labored breathing that accompanies chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

During the study, half the participants received daily medication and acupuncture and the other half received medication and an acupuncture treatment in which the needles did not breach the subjects' skin. The researchers determined that the participants who were treated with real acupuncture needles saw improvements  in their breathing.

To learn more, click here.

ProMed Memorial Day Closure Notice

Professional Medical will be closed on Monday, May 28, 2012 in honor of Memorial Day.

Customers who typically order on Monday for Tuesday delivery should place their orders by noon on Friday, May 25. All regular Monday deliveries will be made on Tuesday, May 29 and all Tuesday deliveries will be made on Wednesday, May 30.

If you have any questions or concerns, we invite you to contact our Customer Care team at 800.648.5190.

Are You Ready for National Nursing Home Week?

Nursing homes, next week is your time to really shine! National Nursing Home Week is May 13-19, and the theme of this year’s event is “Celebrating the Journey.” According to the American Health Care Association, the message of the week is that “every life should be honored, every life’s story needs to be told and that every day we have the chance to begin writing a new chapter. Whether the day is filled with comedy or drama, nursing home residents and caregivers are co-authors and leading characters in each other’s life story.”

The AHCA’s website offers a wealth of information on National Nursing Home Week, including sample press releases and a planning guide. To view and download these materials, click here. Additionally, you might want to check out the official National Nursing Home Week page on Facebook, which is filled with great ideas on creating a memorable celebration. (While you’re on Facebook, be sure to check out our page and tell us how you’re celebrating National Nursing Home Week!)

EPA Yanks ZEP Formula 165

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order (SSURO) for ZEP Formula 165, a disinfectant intended for use in hospitals.

When ZEP 165 was examined under the EPA's antimicrobial testing program, it was determined that the product was ineffective against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, contrary to label claims.

The SSURO was issued to Zep, Inc. for selling and distributing a misbranded pesticide, which is a violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

To learn more, click here.

Our Favorite Nursing Quotations

In celebration of National Nurses Week, we’ve gathered some memorable quotations on nursing for you to share with your staff!

“Save one life and you are a hero. Save one hundred lives and you are a nurse.”

-        Chuck Stepanek

“Nurses are the heart of healthcare.”

-        Donna Wilk Cardillo

“When you’re a nurse, you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.”

-        Unknown

“To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, in spite of everything we go through, is to be a nurse.”

-        Rawsi Williams

Antipsychotic Overuse Tied to Lower Staffing Levels

According to an analysis performed by the Boston Globe, nursing homes with lower staffing levels are more likely to overuse antipsychotic drugs. These homes, which represent a quarter of all U.S. facilities, tend to have fewer registered nurses and CNAs.

The study's authors looked at the percentage of LTC residents who were receiving antipsychotic drugs even though they didn't have psychosis or a related condition.

The good news is that antipsychotic overuse in long-term care as a whole has decreased dramatically over the past five years, from 237,510 residents in 2005 to 185,370 in 2010.

To learn more, click here.

Are You Ready for National Nurses Week?

National Nurses Week kicks off this Sunday, May 6 and runs through Saturday, May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. National Nurses Week has been celebrated since 1990, but it can trace its roots back to the 1950s. The theme of this year's celebration is "Nurses: Advocating, Leading, Caring."

To download the National Nurses Week Media kit, which contains suggestions on celebrating the week, press releases, a history of the event and much more, click here.

iNursing? Majority of Nurses Use Smartphones on the Job

According to a survey conducted by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), 71 percent of nurses are using smartphones for their jobs. A New York Times article also touched on this trend, noting that "the most profound recent change is a move away from the profession's dependence on committing vast amounts of information to memory. It is not that nurses need to know less, educators say, but that the amount of essential data has exploded."

The LWW survey also found that:

• 66 percent of students use a smartphone for nursing school
• 85 percent of respondents wanted a mobile app version of a drug guide

To learn more, click here.

HHS: One Third of Healthcare Costs Spent on Waste, Fraud

According to the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, waste and fraud account for 20 to 30 percent of the $3 trillion spent on health care each year - and that's why the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will continue to make reducing spending in these areas priority.

Audits and technology are allowing the OIG to become more efficient in targeting people who are guilty of waste and abuse. Additionally, the healthcare system is moving toward coordinated care models and value-based payments.

To learn more, click here.

Happy Older Americans Month!

May 1, 2012 marks the beginning of the 49th annual Older Americans Month! Each year, May is recognized as the perfect opportunity for communities to come together and show our appreciation for the contributions of older citizens.

The theme of this year's Older Americans Month is "Never Too Old to Play." The event's organizers suggest hosting a "Day of Play" with events such as a team trivia night, intergenerational Wii bowling tournament or other fun activity.

To learn more and download a free Older Americans Month toolkit, click here.