HealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
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View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
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View All ProductsDeliver custom or industry designed product training directly to patient and resident care environments to reinforce proper use.
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View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsHealthStream's EMS Program offers a comprehensive, CAPCE accredited EMS course library that meets National Registry annual recertification.
View All ProductsMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream's solutions allow your healthcare workforce to be confident and competent with the knowledge they are upholding the highest of standards.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
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View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
View All ProductsMitigate risk and elevate your quality of care. Improving both clinical and business outcomes starts with a smarter, more integrated approach to regulatory training, continuing education and quality management.
Learn MoreSeems like it just ended, but influenza, or flu, season is upon us again. That means it’s the perfect time for the Center for Disease Control’s annual National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), set for Dec. 1-7, 2019
NIVW is a good period to get the word out about how dangerous the flu is, and to dispel a lot of myths that pop up every year, like these below:
Some real facts? According to Harvard Medical School, 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 are hospitalized each year because of the flu. Meanwhile, flu vaccination (in the 2016-2017 season) prevented an estimated 5.3 million flu illnesses—about the population of the Atlanta metropolitan area; 2.6 million flu medical visits—more than the number of students in all K-12 schools in Florida; and 85,000 flu hospitalizations—more than the number of hospital beds in California and Oregon.
The 2018-2019 flu season was the longest in a decade, running 21 weeks. According to the CDC, two waves of flu: H1Ni, and then H3N2, crossed the United States from October 2018 through May 2019. Both are circulating again this year, the CDC says, and this year’s vaccine has been updated and is predicted to be a good match and protect well against them.
“The flu” covers many types of virus
When someone has the flu, they have one of three types of virus, all of which result in muscle aches, soreness, headache, and fever. There are three types of flu viruses: A, B, and C. Types A and B are responsible for the annual flu epidemics, while type C is usually less severe.
Type A is constantly mutating and is usually responsible for larger outbreak and epidemics. It is commonly hosted by wild birds, hence the phrase “avian flu.” It is most commonly spread by people who are infected, usually lingering on surfaces they have touched and areas where they have sneezed.
Type B is limited to human carriers, and usually does not cause pandemics. Type C is similar, and often is even milder. Still, both are contagious and can create health problems that can be avoided by receiving a flu vaccine.
The flu is not “just a bad cold”
The flu is bad enough on its own and can lead to even worse complications, such as pneumonia and bacterial infections. And it’s worth noting that anyone who gets the flu can pass it along to anyone else, including children and infants who are too young to get a flu vaccine.
Speaking of children, there are a few high-risk groups for whom getting a flu shot should be part of every year’s health checklist. Those include pregnant women, people with certain chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease or lung disease, and people 65 years and older. As always, any of these individuals should consult their medical professional if they have any questions, or if they think there might be other presenting medical issues that would be adversely affected by the flu vaccine.
Lead by example when it comes to prevention
Healthcare professionals should (and often are required to, or else they may not be allowed to interact with patients) be vaccinated every year. Last season, an estimated 81 percent overall heeded that advice, but a lower percentage of those who interacted with patients may have complied.
If you have questions or concerns about the vaccine, that’s OK. There is a wealth of information about the different types of vaccine that are created every year, and the strains they are meant to fight. Asking questions allows you to feel better about your decision, and that knowledge also can be passed along to patients, family and friends — it’s just as communicable as the flu, but in a good way!
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsImprove the preparedness of your staff, increase survival rates, and cut costs with the advanced resuscitation training services from HealthStream.
View All ResuscitationNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsHealthStream's EMS Program offers a comprehensive, CAPCE accredited EMS course library that meets National Registry annual recertification.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream's solutions allow your healthcare workforce to be confident and competent with the knowledge they are upholding the highest of standards.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsDelivers everything you need to request, gather, and validate information about a provider to create a single source of truth for downstream processes.
View All CredentialingMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All Scheduling & Capacity ManagementHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
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