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Issue 48, November 25, 2020

• HHS is looking for your pandemic success stories

  Hundreds, if not thousands, of clinicians, facility engineers, healthcare systems and other care...

• Coronavirus survey: Primary care practices face ongoing strain during pandemic

  The new survey, which was conducted by the Primary Care Collaborative, The Larry A. Green Center...

• Docs say telehealth provides effective access during pandemic

  “The strong support shown for telehealth, as evidenced in these results, reinforces the...

Issue 47, November 19, 2020

• Help stop ransomware attacks at your hospital

  A big takeaway from the HHS is the importance of taking appropriate actions beforehand to mitigate...

• Sleep disorders in healthcare professionals linked to higher odds of burnout

  In recent research, healthcare professionals with sleep disorders were nearly four times as likely...

• AMA sets new policies on bullying prevention in healthcare and racism

  The American Medical Association has adopted new policies this week, including prevention of...

Issue 46, November 12, 2020

• Amid COVID-19, OSHA issues respirator guidance for long-term care facilities

  This year has been brutal on many levels, especially in healthcare. There’s the coronavirus...

• Coronavirus: Northwell’s 10-step recipe for addressing patient surges

  One of New York's largest health systems marshaled a range of resources and expertise to cope with...

• ECRI: Half of disposable isolation gowns don't pass muster

  More than half of disposable isolation gowns tested by ECRI failed to meet protection standards...

Issue 45, November 5, 2020

• Civil unrest while managing a pandemic: Lessons learned in Minnesota

  This year has been brutal on many levels, especially in healthcare. There’s the...

• Review policies on cyberattacks as FBI, HHS send new warning

  Review your hospital policies about preventing ransomware and other outside cybersecurity attacks...

• Flu shots still required but TJC eliminates 90% goal

  As of January 1, 2021, you will have one less thing to worry about: The Joint Commission (TJC) is...

Issue 44, October 29, 2020

• CMS approves merger of HFAP with Accreditation Commission for Health Care

  HFAP, the oldest CMS-approved hospital accreditation program in the nation, has merged with the...

• Six tests for physician leadership

  Over the years, physicians have been frequently accused of resisting change. In the face of...

• Healthcare worker well-being and resilience summit: Three big ideas

  Last week’s Summit on Promoting Well-Being and Resilience in Healthcare Professionals...

Issue 43, October 22, 2020

• The Joint Commission: The optimal and safe use of telemedicine

  On October 7, The Joint Commission (TJC) released a new Quick Safety...

• United States faring poorly in coronavirus deaths

  U.S. coronavirus deaths are likely understated, and the United States has relatively high COVID-19...

• Hospital admissions bounce back, but still below pre-pandemic levels

  Hospital admissions have rebounded somewhat since volumes tanked during the first months of the...

Issue 42, October 15, 2020

• Study: Better controls, not testing, crucial to worker safety during pandemic

  A new study finds that, while voluntary testing of asymptomatic healthcare workers for COVID-19...

• OSHA issues temporary guidance on PAPR enforcement

  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued temporary guidance on enforcement...

• Mortality data supports placing seriously ill coronavirus patients on ECMO

  Seriously ill coronavirus patients placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation life support have...

Issue 41, October 8, 2020

• Coronavirus can be spread through airborne transmission

  Coronavirus droplets and particles “can linger in the air for minutes to hours,” said...

• Get ready for a new TJC water management standard

  The Joint Commission seeks comment on proposed new water management requirements.

• HHS Releases Update on Ryuk Ransomware Threat

  The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for...

• 5 AMA Resources to Promote Physician Wellbeing

  “While it is always important to focus on physician mental health, the emergence of the...

Issue 40, October 1, 2020

• Coronavirus: Virtual hospital at home program used for low-acuity patients

  A Denver-based health system has used remote monitoring to care for coronavirus disease 2019...

• During the pandemic, aspire to identify and prevent medication errors and to avoid blaming attitudes

  ISMP recently spoke to a hospital nurse working in a location where the coronavirus (COVID-19) has...

• Telemedicine projected to account for 20% of medical visits in 2020, report says

  The volume and financial value of telemedicine visits will increase significantly in 2020 due to...

Issue 39, September 24, 2020

• TJC releases advice to protect well-being of healthcare workers during pandemic

  Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in January, healthcare workers in U.S. hospitals have been...

• OSHA fines hospitals for PPE failures related to COVID-19

  Ensure workers are trained fit-tested for using respirators and are not sharing protective gowns as...

• National Physician Burnout Expert Shares Insights: "We Can Certainly Do Better"

  One of the top physician burnout researchers in the country is expecting a new national survey will...

Issue 38, September 17, 2020

• IHI rolls out new National Action Plan for patient safety

  With the goal of eliminating preventable medical harm, a new National Action Plan was released...

• Survey: Emergency preparedness training needed for nurses

  In addition to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the United States and the world continues to be...

• Free PSMJ articles on Wildfires

  With skies literally turning red from wildfire smoke on the West Coast, our sister site and...

Issue 37, September 10, 2020

• DNV-GL now 2nd deeming authority for psych hospitals

  Inpatient behavioral health facilities seeking accreditation to participate in Medicare and...

• Avoid punitive approach to your safety event reporting

  Two decades after the dawn of the patient safety movement in healthcare with the publication of...

• Promote Flu Vaccination to Help Avoid "Twindemic"

  There is widespread concern among healthcare professionals that the United States could be facing...

Issue 36, September 2, 2020

• HHS makes COVID-19 data reporting a Medicare CoP as of Sept. 2

  Get a firm handle on your COVID-19 case data now that a new interim final rule requires the...

• Been through a disaster? There is help for recovery

  Your hospital, urgent care center, nursing home, laboratory or other healthcare facility has just...

• 4 recent research articles examine N95 respirator mask sterilization methods

  N95 respirator masks have been in limited suppl since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019...

Issue 35, August 27, 2020

• NSC says COVID-19 may become third leading cause of death in U.S.

  In 2018, the most recent year of final fatality data, the third leading cause of death was...

• Game Planning Your Return to Elective Surgeries

  The recent moratorium on elective surgeries due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been brutal on...

• Coronavirus: There are Viable Alternatives to New N95 Masks, Research Shows

  N95 respirator masks as many as 11 years past their expiration date and used N95 respirator masks...

Issue 34, August 20, 2020

• CMS encourages state agencies to resume surveys

  CMS is gearing up to resume surveys, starting with closing out cases suspended by the March...

• Sentinel events for 2020 pandemic year drop slightly

  The number of sentinel events reviewed by The Joint Commission (TJC) in the first half of this...

• Not every summer illness is COVID-19: Decision support tools can play key role in diagnosis

  Even during “normal times,” summer activities expose Americans to a long list of...

Issue 33, August 13, 2020

• FGI seeks public comment on 2022 update to Guidelines for Design and Construction

  The Facilities Guidelines Institute (FGI) is asking for public comment through...

• The importance of sustaining quality initiatives in times of crisis

  The coronavirus public health emergency will have a long-lasting impact on the finances and care...

• Beware of fraud when searching to bolster supplies in a crisis

  When trying to procure necessary supplies during a disaster or emergency, be aware of potential...

• How to Improve Emergency Preparedness for Pandemics

  The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed emergency preparedness weaknesses in...

Issue 32, August 4, 2020

• ASHE conference goes virtual

  More than four months into the COVID-19 lockdown, we’re seeing some states gradually open up...

• Coronavirus Pandemic Bares U.S. Healthcare Flaws, Points to Improvements

  The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has four monumental implications for U.S...

• CMS, CDC Create Provider Payment for COVID-19 Counseling

  Physicians and other healthcare providers will now be paid to counsel patients about the importance...

Issue 31, July 30, 2020

• TJC spilling too many beans? CMS thinks so

  Think the results of your last Joint Commission survey were hard to understand? If CMS has their...

• Public Health Emergency is Extended: Blanket Waivers Continue for Now

  Now that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar has again renewed the official...

• Coronavirus Antibodies Drop Precipitously 3 Months After Mild Cases

  The prevalence of antibodies for people recovering from a mild cases of COVID-19 dropped...

• Researchers Examine Death Risks for Coronavirus Patients in ICUs

  New research has linked several factors with risk of death in critically ill patients with...

Issue 30, July 23, 2020

• TJC approved as hospital AO for only two years this time

  The Joint Commission again has earned CMS approval as a national accrediting...

• Physician Fatigue Linked to Electronic Health Record Use

  Most physicians experience fatigue working with electronic health records (EHRs) for as little as...

• HHS Presses Hospitals to Use New COVID-19 Data Reporting Modules

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network COVID-19 module...

• Researchers Examine Death Risks for Coronavirus Patients in ICUs

  New research has linked several factors with risk of death in critically ill patients with...

• Coronavirus Antibodies Drop Precipitously 3 Months After Mild Cases

  The prevalence of antibodies for people recovering from a mild cases of COVID-19 dropped...

Issue 29, July 16, 2020

• HHS Presses Hospitals to Use New COVID-19 Data Reporting Modules

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network COVID-19 module...

• How to Reduce Anxiety and Burnout at Primary Care Practices

  Burnout is taking a significant toll in the healthcare sector. It is estimated that...

• New IHI Chief Executive: "There is No Quality Without Equity"

  Equity is an underpinning consideration in efforts to improve U.S. healthcare, the new president...

• Coronavirus: 4 Methods Effective in Decontaminating N95 Respirator Masks

  Based on a review of scientific literature, there are four effective methods to decontaminate N95...

Issue 28, July 9, 2020

• Coronavirus: 7 Infection Prevention Best Practices for Healthcare Settings

  After months of grappling with the novel coronavirus, infection preventionists have developed...

• Study: COVID-19 Fatality Risk Is Double Earlier Estimates

  “These dire estimates highlight the severity of COVID-19 in elderly populations and the...

• 40% of Providers at Risk of Closure Due to Financial Implications of COVID-19

  Forty percent of acute care organizations are at risk of closure, two-thirds of which are...

• NIOSH Compiles Disinfectant Safety, Health Hazard Info Amid COVID-19

  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently collected safety and...

Issue 27, July 1, 2020

• Coronavirus: 3 Steps for Reopening Ambulatory Surgery Centers

  Safety, managing surgery backlogs, and telemedicine are key elements of reopening...

• New National Quality Forum Report Focuses on Achieving Better Health Outcomes

  Despite leading the world in healthcare spending at more than $3.5 trillion of expenditures...

• Check for New SAG, Remember TJC Standard Revisions Effective July 1

  Remember to keep checking for a new Survey Activity Guide (SAG) from The Joint Commission (TJC...

Issue 26, June 25, 2020

• New research identifies risk factors for physician suicide

  Compared to the general population, physicians who die by suicide are more likely to experience job...

• Telehealth for chronically ill patients generates revenue and boosts care

  Telehealth visits for chronically ill patients have advantages compared to in-person visits such as...

• 5 ways healthcare organizations can address social determinants of health

  Healthcare providers can address social determinants of health through five...

Issue 25, June 18, 2020

• Study: Use of dexamethasone could cut coronavirus deaths by a third

  The drug is cheap and widely available, meaning it can be rolled out quickly to poorer communities...

• How NYC Health + Hospitals Trained 20K Staffers to Combat COVID-19

  This spring, NYC H+H, with its 11 acute-care hospitals and three field hospitals established to...

• Coronavirus: 4-Part Ethical Framework for Allocating Scarce Medications

  Decisions about allocating scarce inpatient medications for coronavirus patients should be guided...

Issue 24, June 11, 2020

• White House urges healthcare facilities to open, but safely

  The Trump administration is urging healthcare facilities to resume elective surgeries, diagnostic...

• New research identifies risk factors for physician suicide

  Compared to the general population, physicians who die by suicide are more likely to experience job...

• FDA bans certain respirators from being decontaminated, reused

  Chinese-made N95 masks and respirators with exhalation tubes among banned types.

• EHRs Fail to Detect Up to One-third of Medication Errors

  EHRs are supposed to ensure safe use of medications in hospitals,” said study corresponding...

• Nearly 600, and counting, U.S. Health Workers Have Died Of COVID-19

  The tally includes doctors, nurses and paramedics, as well as crucial healthcare support staff such...

Issue 23, June 4, 2020

• Telehealth Expansion During Coronavirus Pandemic Changing Physician-Patient Relationship

  “Whether telemedicine is a good or bad thing for the physician-patient relationship is...

• Physician Advocate: Coronavirus Pandemic Shows Need to Ease Regulatory Burdens

  Healthcare is one of the most highly regulated sectors in the U.S. economy. Regulatory compliance...

• Study: About a Quarter of Hospitals Have Telestroke Capacity

  As of 2019, just over 27% of hospitals had telestroke capacity, according to the study. Over a...

Issue 22, May 28, 2020

• Study Shows COVID-19 Body Count 20 Times Higher Than Seasonal Flu Deaths

  New research shows that counted deaths from COVID-19 in mid-April were about 20 times greater than...

• Study: Patients equally satisfied with virtual encounters compared to in-person visits

  The advent of COVID-19 has fueled the rise of telemedicine, accelerating growth beyond what was...

• Telehealth Expansion During Coronavirus Pandemic Changing Physician-Patient Relationship

  The dramatic growth of telemedicine during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is...

Issue 21, May 21, 2020

• AOs ramping up for accreditation surveys

  Get ready—both DNV-GL Healthcare and HFAP have announced they are going start doing limited...

• COVID-19: EPA releases list of registered disinfectants

  The EPA has released a list of 82 registered disinfectant products that have been qualified for use...

• How to Create an N95 Mask Disinfection Facility for Less Than $15,000

  The process is based on a concept from the University of Nebraska and adheres to Centers for...

Issue 20, May 14, 2020

• Coronavirus Care Rationing: "It's Not Just About Ventilators"

  In addition to ventilators, there are four primary care rationing scenarios during the coronavirus...

• Study Puts U.S. COVID-19 Infection Fatality Rate at 1.3%

  COVID-19 kills 1.3% of symptomatic people and could kill 500,000 Americans in the coming months if...

• CMS Emergency Waivers Now Include Some Testing, Inspections

  After several requests, CMS finally issued a waiver for some — but not all — equipment...

• Hurricane preparedness week: Get ready now

  Dig out your hurricane preparedness plans and now with an eye on potentially handling two or more...

• NIOSH seeks comment on hazardous drugs list

   NIOSH seeks comment on 2020 hazardous drug handling list

Issue 19, May 7, 2020

• Researcher: Coronavirus Pandemic Increases Risk of Physician Suicide

  The April 26 suicide death of a New York emergency room physician appears to be related to the...

• New Infection Prevention Guidelines Highlight Lessons Learned From COVID-19

  “There is still much to learn about this virus, but these recommendations give hospitals...

• 6 Steps for Rural Hospitals to Rise to the Coronavirus Challenge

  In response to the coronavirus pandemic, an Indiana-based rural hospital succeeded in boosting...

Issue 18, April 30, 2020

• American Heart Association Issues COVID-19 CPR Guidelines

  The AHA recommended bystanders and lay rescuers administer “hands only” CPR without...

• How cancer clinics can treat patients safely during the coronavirus pandemic

  Patients with cancer are a high-risk group during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a World...

• CDC: Watch for six new symptoms of COVID-19

  The CDC says that like the original three symptoms, the six new ones take two to 14 days to appear...

• Coronavirus: Studies find steam effective in sterilizing used medical masks

  Researchers in China and Houston show that steam sterilization processes do not damage surgical...

Issue 17, April 23, 2020

• Study: contaminated reusable bronchoscopes could cause secondary infections in COVID-19 patients

  Bronchoscopes are used to examine patients’ lungs, but when they’re contaminated, they...

• Track COVID-19 rates to signal when to resume non-emergent care

  While some hospitals are just approaching their peak of treating COVID-19 patients, others are...

• Legal considerations for healthcare workers crossing state lines to help during pandemic

  To assess the legal implications of licensed healthcare workers crossing state lines, HealthLeaders...

Issue 16, April 16, 2020

• FDA says 4 million N95 masks could be reused thanks to emergency order

  “Authorizing this sterilization system will make it easier for hospitals to ensure that...

• How one Arizona health system is preparing emergency department, critical care for surge

  While coronavirus hotspots such as New York and Detroit are coping with patient surges, Valleywise...

• Online tool helps hospitals place staff in appropriate roles during COVID-19 pandemic

  To meet the critical need for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals and health...

Issue 15, April 9, 2020

• Looking for ideas? OIG report outlines hospital strategies on COVID challenges

  If you are still preparing for a major onslaught of suspected COVID-19 patients, review your plans...

• Warning: Despite Blanket Waivers, CoP, EMTALA Regulations Are Still in Effect

  Beware the myths and misperceptions going around about the blanket 1135 waivers issued by CMS to...

• Free online COVID-19 surge planning tool available to hospitals

  A newly developed modeling tool to predict hospital capacity needs during the COVID-19 pandemic is...

• A quarter of rural hospitals at ’high risk’ of closure, COVID-19 likely to make it worse

  One quarter of rural hospitals are at high risk of closing due to financial challenges, according...

Issue 14, April 2, 2020

• CMS suspends restrictions on care venues as providers tackle COVID-19 surges

  Now allowing hospitals to clear precious bed capacity by triaging non-COVID-19 patients in...

• Duke Health to begin reusing N95 masks

  Researchers at Duke Health this week announced a way to sterilize masks using aerosolized hydrogen...

• Coronavirus: Infectious Disease Expert Shares Lessons Learned From Other Recent Outbreaks

  Although there are differences between the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the recent...

• 34 States Granted Medicaid 1135 Waivers to Fight COVID-19

  The federal government announced Friday that 34 states have been granted expedited 1135 Medicaid...

Issue 13, March 26, 2020

• Two-thirds of all hospital beds are already occupied

  Nearly two-thirds of the nation’s estimated 728,000 hospital beds already are occupied...

• Despite Federal COVID-19 Stimulus, Many Hospitals Could Face Layoffs Within Two Months

  Despite a proposed 20% reimbursement rate increase for treatment of patients infected with...

• COVID-19: Non-profit group partners with biotech consortium to crowd-source PPE solutions

  A consortium of biotech and pharmaceutical companies promoting innovation, have partnered to create...

Issue 12, March 19, 2020

• Accrediting organizations suspend most survey activities to focus on COVID-19

  If you are expecting a survey from your accreditation organization (AO) in the upcoming weeks and...

• Study: SARS-CoV-2 Can Live for 72 Hours on Plastic, Stainless Steel Surfaces

  It was more stable on plastic and stainless steel than on copper and cardboard, with viable virus...

• National emergency declared over COVID-19 coronavirus; 1135 waivers now in play

  Hospitals and other healthcare organizations will soon have some regulatory relief and more...

• See when states will face hospital bed capacity shortages during the COVID-19 outbreak

  Amid the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, most states will run out of...

• CMS reminds providers about EMTALA obligations with COVID-19 patients

  In response to questions from hospitals both large and small, CMS is reminding providers with...

Issue 11, March 12, 2020

• CMS reminds providers about EMTALA obligations with COVID-19 patients

  CMS has also revised its guidance for nursing homes that need to control visitors in light of the...

• HHS releases final interoperability rules

  They are expected to "empower patients around a common aim—giving every American access...

Issue 10, March 5, 2020

• COVID-19: CMS says primary survey focus will be on infection control preparedness

  CMS ordered its state and regional surveyors to suspend “non-emergency inspections across the...

• Verma Raps Accrediting Organizations' "Glaring Conflict of Interest'

  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma took a swipe at accrediting...

• Stay up-to-date, use available resources to plan as COVID-19 continues to spread

  As the CDC and international medical community continues to learn how to handle the spread of...

Issue 9, February 27, 2020

• Value-Based Metrics Penalize Top-Performing Hospitals

  Hospitals that are recognized for high-quality cardiac care are also more likely to be penalized...

• HHS Unveils Strategy to Reduce EHR Burden for Clinicians

  The federal government has released its long-awaited plan to reduce red tape and other...

Issue 8, February 20, 2020

• New Data on Sepsis Prevalence and Costs 'Astonished' DHHS Researchers

  There was a 40% increase in the rate of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with sepsis from 2012...

• Vitamin and steroid treatment for sepsis fails in major study

  Proponents of the treatment say the study is flawed and plan to keep using vitamin C on sepsis...

Issue 7, February 13, 2020

• CDC: Focus on Protecting Staff and Supplies as Coronavirus Concerns Grow

  The threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus spreading rapidly in the United States remains low for...

• CMS to providers: Prep for 2019-nCoV, stay CLIA compliant

  CMS is urging hospitals and other providers to review their plans for handling emerging diseases...

Issue 6, February 6, 2020

• Novel Coronavirus: What clinicians should know

  An article published this week by the Journal of the American Medical Association provides clinical...

• Study: Staff will work through illness despite sick policy

  Do staff in long-term healthcare facilities go to work with the flu and other illnesses, even when...

Issue 5, January 30, 2020

• Use past experience with MERS, Ebola to prep for latest coronavirus

  Dig out your plan for screening for MERS-CoV, Ebola, measles or any other infectious disease and...

• Full Transparency Is the Key to Stopping Drug Diversion in Healthcare Settings

  Is drug diversion a problem in the healthcare setting where you work? Chances are the answer is...

Issue 4, January 23, 2020

• Data Analytics Utilization 'Negligible' Among 80% of Healthcare Orgs

  The research found that 95% of hospitals and physician group executives have access to data...

• CDC: First Case of Wuhan Coronavirus Confirmed in U.S.

  Scientists are unclear about how the virus spreads between people.

Issue 3, January 16, 2020

• OSHA Raises Its Civil Penalties for 2020 by Nearly 2%

  On January 15, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) raised its civil penalties...

• TJC clarifies 1135 waivers, which suspend rules during a disaster

  Joint Commission–accredited hospitals and CAHs must have a process for requesting an 1135...

Issue 2, January 9, 2020

• Q&A: What You Need to Know About CMS' Antimicrobial Stewardship Rule

  On September 26, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released revised...

• BD Launches Fully Sterile Surgical Skin Preparation

  Skin antiseptic products are used to reduce bacterial burden on skin prior to performing invasive...

Issue 1, January 2, 2020

• Asymptomatic Carriers of C. Diff May Be Significant Source of Infection at Hospitals

  In the hospital setting, screening for asymptomatic carriers of Clostridioides difficile (C. diff...

• IHI Pushes Safety as a Primary Business Strategy

  Hospital leaders must adopt safety and quality as primary business strategies, rather than...