A 2026 IDWeek poster details how respiratory cultures and whole genome sequencing clarified a NICU MRSA outbreak, with targeted prevention measures followed by at least 6 months without additional bacteremias or related respiratory clusters.
|Articles|July 26, 2000
Nurse scarcity at center of $2.7 million settlement
Shortages expected to increase
Advertisement
Becky Hartman rushed her mother, Shirley Keck, to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan., in February 1998. Hartman claims her mother required constant medical supervision at the time, but didn't receive it. That evening, her mother slipped into a coma and today suffers from brain damage and partial paralysis.
A suit filed on her behalf alleges inadequate nurse staffing levels resulting from cost concerns; Wesley Medical Center has agreed to a $2.7 million settlement. Center executives did not discuss the suit, but indicate area hospitals are experiencing nurse shortages. As the federal government expects nurse demand to outpace supply in 10 years, suits such as Keck's may increase.
Advertisement
Related to this article
Researchers recovered a carbapenemase-producing organism from the shaft of a hospital drain auger, prompting calls for standardized reprocessing protocols and further investigation into maintenance equipment as a potential source of environmental dissemination.
A poster presented at IDWeek was a systematic review of 35 studies that found rare transmission of viral hemorrhagic fever to health care personnel in high-income countries and highlighted the need for standardized exposure definitions to guide response.
Kimberley Brown, PharmD, Head of U.S. Medical Affairs at ViiV Healthcare discusses the evolution of HIV care and how innovative long-acting injectables are expanding options across HIV treatment and prevention.
Clean Hospitals President Alexandra Peters, PhD, explains how training, meaningful support, and stronger collaboration with infection prevention teams can empower environmental services staff and strengthen patient safety.
A proposed hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau raises concerns about delaying newborn protection. This commentary examines the ethical obligations of researchers and the consequences of weakening established prevention efforts.
For International Infection Prevention Week, Infection Control Today explores how prevention connects hospital departments with everyday community life and why infection preventionists (IPs), sterile processing department (SPD), professionals, and environmental services (EVS) teams deserve lasting support.
This week in infection prevention: Kenya's imported Ebola case showed how fever screening can miss an ill traveler, Florida's dengue outbreak reached 296 local cases, and new guidance underscores that missed surfaces and shared equipment fuel AMR risk. Our weekly roundup covers these stories and more.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Trending on Infection Control Today
1
NICU MRSA Outbreak: Whole Genome Sequencing Guides Infection Prevention Investigation
2
IDWeek 2026: Hospital Drain Snakes May Harbor Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms
3
IDWeek 2026: Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Exposure and Infection Risk in Health Care Workers
4
International Infection Prevention Week 2026: The Roles of IPs, SPD, and EVS
5