It’s not only patient safety that’s a priority at UNMC and The Nebraska Medical Center — making sure employees have the resources to do their job safely is also very important.
The Safer Medical Devices Committee (SMDC) is focused on doing just that. The SMDC is a sub-committee of the Infection Control Committee, made up of people from UNMC, The Nebraska Medical Center and UNMC Physicians.
The SMDC oversees the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations to prevent transmission of blood borne pathogens through the use of safer medical devices. The SMDC does this by:
- Reviewing the types of injuries incurred with devices;
- Educating employees;
- Evaluating of safer medical devices;
- Engaging end uses in the selection process; and
- Implementing selected safer medical devices.