Congress was advised today that modern affordable technologies exist that can cleanly, safely, and economically sterilize infectious and contagious medical waste providing much needed operational sustainability for VA hospitals in an emergency and would provide ancillary and immediate benefits to the VA beyond emergency preparedness, including cost savings and carbon emission reductions. 

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The recent devastating earthquake in Mexico that sent tremors into California highlights a serious concern with our hospital system. As we saw in Louisiana with Hurricane Katrina, natural disasters put hospital operational sustainability to the test. This aspect of healthcare receives little attention until a crisis highlights the vulnerabilities in place.

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Three individuals have been identified so far among six heads and numerous other human body parts found in a truck at a Kansas medical waste facility, including at least one man who was to have been cremated, a coroner said Tuesday.

Sealed plastic bags containing the parts were found last week in 12 large red plastic tubs inside a delivery truck at a Stericycle Inc. facility in Kansas City, Kan., that disposes of medical waste. Stericycle disposes of waste such as operating room debris or syringes but doesn't incinerate major body parts, Wyandotte County coroner Alan C. Hancock said.

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Broken syringes and vials of blood were found scattered around a commercial dumpster on Pyramid Way Saturday afternoon. The mess was cleaned up after a witness called Sparks Police to report it. Washoe County officials say the blood-contaminated materials should never have been put in the dumpster. Health codes require materials contaminated by human or animal blood and tissue to be collected and destroyed by a county approved agency.

A family medicine clinic and a veterinary clinic both share the parking lot where the dumpster is located, but so far authorities have not identified who may be responsible. Health officials say they will conduct an investigation and educational campaign based on the incident. They say in addition to reducing the risk of accidental infection, rules regarding medical waste are aimed at protecting waste collection workers, and people salvaging items from dumpsters.

Anyone who finds contaminated waste in the wrong place is asked to call the Washoe County Health Department at (775) 328-2436.

Source: KOLO TV

By Rob Stein

Washington Post

WASHINGTON - A top Obama administration official, citing problems with the swine flu vaccination campaign and other problems in preparedness, announced plans yesterday for a major review of the federal government's policies for developing public-health defenses.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she had ordered the review in part because the swine flu vaccine shortage had highlighted the nation's dependence on antiquated technology.

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