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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...