Hands-on-learning means learning by doing. Experiential learning environments provide endless hands-on learning benefits for children of all ages. Young children learn through meaningful hands-on experiences—through touching, doing, and moving. Research has shown that in fact people of all ages learn better when they are actively engaged in their learning journey.…

On Friday, May 5^th the World Health Organization ended the global health emergency it declared on Covid-19, but the pandemic is still taking lives every day while transmission of the virus continues. About as close as we’ll get to closure is a transition from something that causes widespread illness and unexpected levels of death to something more predictable and less dangerous. How the virus evolves and how our immune systems cope with it will ultimately determine when we get there.

Just want to let everyone know how pleased we are to be able see everyone face to face and in person in Nashville this Saturday morning. Case Medical will be there for the start of the HSPA conference. It’s been too long since I personally have been there with you, but I’ve gotten my Covid booster and am looking forward to the event. We have some fun events lined up, so roll up your sleeves and join us to learn more about the art and science of cleaning medical devices. I say art and science...

This week is formally designated “Spring Cleaning Week” by the U.S. EPA. It is a time for cleaning or organizing your home or enterprise. It typically falls on the first day of spring, the Persian New Year, and coincides with the Jewish practice of throughly cleansing the home for Passover. Look at your inventory of cleaning products to determine what's truly needed and how safe they are to use. Consider reducing the number of SKU's and replacing some of the more caustic chemicals of concern with safer alternatives. Single use wipes have become very popular for cleaning surfaces, wiping baby messes, for personal care, and throughout healthcare facilities for numerous purposes...

If you're curious about how cleaning products work or why cleaning of medical devices is considered the critical first step in the decontamination process, you've come to the right place. We’ve studied the science of cleaning and are pleased to share with you what we learned as a U.S. EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year, in independent laboratory studies, in our micro lab, and with the USGS at their U.S. Wildlife Health Center in Madison, WI. 

Last week we shared our supply issue of getting 4 new rooftop air conditioning units, which were scheduled for arrival on April 6^th then finding out from the manufacturer of the AC units that it would be 42 weeks, at the earliest, for the units we needed. 2023 is another year of unknowns, and healthcare must rally around this one constant: as Covid 19 wanes, there are rising expectations of a return to “normal”. It’s time to start planning for what’s next.

Are you still experiencing supply chain issues? We are. That is why we stocked up on all the necessary supplies and raw materials we need to meet your needs for instrument processing. Nevertheless, what we learned, however, is that you cannot take anything for granted, such as obtaining necessary equipment or even air conditioning units, because they may not be available when you need them.

In a hospital setting, drug resistant strains of bacteria are a growing problem. Staphylococcus is an especially opportunistic pathogen. When immunity is lowered, it can cause all types of infections. Most antibiotics, even the latest and greatest, are not effective against “super bugs”. Some staph infections no longer respond, or become resistant, to common antibiotics.

Spring is here and with it a time of renewal. The time for spring cleaning is at hand, however, it’s become apparent that limiting exposure to various chemicals, toxins and pollutants is also important. We’ve learned much about the detrimental effects various chemicals have on our health. Many cleaning products marketed as “green,” “natural” or “eco-friendly” actually contain chemicals that are known carcinogens, endocrine-disruptors or lung and skin irritants. For instance, awareness around the negative reproductive and development effects of BPA (bisphenol A) in plastics and other unregulated chemicals like phthalates is growing, there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure that our health is protected.

Consider the 2D barcode... those abstract, postage stamp sized black and white images, which are everywhere, from soda cans to restaurant menus. Where did they come from, how do they work, and what can they do? All really good questions which we’ll get to the bottom of in this week’s blog. When we at Case Medical opted to use a 2D barcode instead of the usual 1D barcode found on most products and existing software systems, we found that the 2D barcode provides an endless amount of information for tracking, tracing, and operations in our manufacturing environment.