Situation
The Gemba Walk at the Bronx Care facility reveals that wound care laboratories are in dire need of an environmentally friendly, safe, and efficient waste management system. Particular focus is on the mismanagement of Red waste within such facilities. Such waste is argued to be responsible for making patients within such facilities to become vulnerable to related health hazards (Bryant & Nix, 2015). Examples of red waste irresponsibly managed in these Wound Care facilities include blood-soaked items, used gauzes and fluid items that are contaminated. Other wastes include wound management as well as used treatment equipment. Since these wastes are highly hazardous to patients receiving care within the facilities, the situation is dire and requires to be given urgent attention. It is thus necessary to institute appropriate action, which could help avoid further exposure of patients to health hazards. Increased exposure to such dangerous waste can lead to enhanced patient vulnerability hence an unsafe environment for safe administration of care (Berwick and Hacksbarth (2012).
Background
The recent Gemba Walk at the Bronx Care facility shows that it is the most significant healthcare facility for Southern citizens and those of central Bronx, New York. The facility has an annual outpatient attendance visiting record of about 139,000 patients annually. Its importance is because it significantly increased the level of awareness on the mismanagement of red waste in the country's Wound Care Centers. In particular, the visit to the facility proved that for enhanced patient care to be realized in wound care centers, an efficient waste management system has to be set up. The visit showed that inappropriate mismanagement of waste in the 'Red Bag' is an issue that will require increased attention for the foreseeable future. According to Bryant and Nix (2015), an organization that establishes a wound and skin management program must have the necessary capacity for effective waste disposal. Such a waste disposal strategy possibly alleviates further patient vulnerability to infection. As such, improper waste disposal at the Wound care facility makes waste disposal or control in the country's wound care departments a critical concern. As Berwick and Hacksbarth, (2012) contend, ignoring proper waste disposal risks making more patient lives vulnerable to disease infestation. In that regard, this proposal seeks to advocate for better waste management in wound care facilities. In particular, it aims to advance strategies for the appropriate management of the 'Red Bag' waste within wound care centers.
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Assessment
The vulnerability mapping of the level of hygiene at the Bronx Care center shows the facility is performing poorly in managing red waste. The condition at the facility is found to be below the required healthcare standards. As a result, appropriate action must be taken since failing to act in time risks compromising the lives of the patients in the facility. The assessment proved that the hospital spends highly in disposing of red bag wastes, yet the waste is not disposed of appropriately. In that regard, patient health is compromised since their susceptibility to unhygienic conditions, exposes them to other infections (Bryan & Nix, 2015).
Recommendation
Preventing patient infection from improper red bag waste management is necessary for all wound care centers in the country. Bryant and Nix's (2015) note that wound care and skin management programs should be equipped with highly trained healthcare personnel is an appropriate recommendation. Regular staff training on the effective management of the red bag waste and its safe disposal is thus a necessity for such healthcare facilities. Should such instruction be executed effectively and regularly, patient vulnerability to infection emanating from red bag waste mismanagement is likely to be prevented.
References
Berwick, D. M., & Hackbarth, A. D. (2012). Eliminating waste in US health care. Journal of the American Medical Association , 307 (14), 1513-1516.
Bryant, R., & Nix, D. (2015). Acute and Chronic Wounds: Current Management Concepts . Elsevier Health Sciences.
