News

Just over a year ago, the AHA joined hospital and health system leaders at the White House to announce the Dynamic Ventilator Reserve, a public-private online initiative to track and help distribute available ventilators and associated supplies to areas of the country with high COVID-19 infection rates and hospitalizations.

 A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assessment affirms the ability of the two authorized mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to prevent hospitalization in fully vaccinated adults ages 65 and older.

The Federal Communications Commission will accept applications for COVID-19 Telehealth Program Round 2 funding from April 29 at 12 p.m. ET to May 6 at 12 p.m. ET.

At a House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health hearing, health care stakeholders urged Congress to continue granting telehealth flexibilities to health care providers in an effort to best care for patients beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services updated the overall hospital quality star ratings at Care Compare.

President Biden unveiled a $1.8 trillion legislative proposal for tax reforms and investments to support American families and workers.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security released recommendations to help organizations secure their networks from ongoing cyber threats from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, which recently exploited software updates to the widely used SolarWinds information technology performance-monitoring platform.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late today issued a proposed rule that would increase Medicare inpatient prospective payment system rates by a net 2.8% in fiscal year 2022, compared to FY 2021, for hospitals that are meaningful users of electronic health records and submit quality measure data.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a proposed rule for the long-term care hospital prospective payment system for fiscal year 2022.

The AHA and Texas Hospital Association filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and several Texas hospitals and health systems challenging a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Departmental Appeals Board decision adopting a “net effect” standard for “bona fide provider-related donations” to supplemental payments in Medicaid.

The AHA, along with Baxter International Foundation, is accepting applications through July 31, 2021 for the 2022 Foster G. McGaw Prize. The prize honors health care organizations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of Minority Health opened a two-day virtual forum on advancing health equity and efforts to address structural racism in health care.

AHA’s latest Hospitals Against Violence convening gathered over 200 clinical, programmatic and community leaders for a working session on tools, strategies and resources that health care providers can use to fight the global scourge of human trafficking. 

The Department of Health and Human Services released new practice guidelines for administering buprenorphine, which exempt from certain training and certification requirements eligible physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives who wish to treat up to 30 patients at any time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced relaxed guidance for mask wearing, stating that individuals fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear masks outdoors, except in certain crowd settings and venues.

The AHA is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and League for Innovation in the Community College to train future health professionals to prevent and control infections through community colleges nationwide. 

As part of the Black American Week of Action April 25 to May 1, the Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with the AHA and other national organizations to inform Black Americans through social media about the special enrollment period available through Aug. 15 at the federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace. 

In this episode, I was delighted to talk with Stacey Stewart, president and CEO of March of Dimes, and present her with AHA’s 2020 Award of Honor for her organization’s work during eight decades to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies.

April 24 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, an opportunity for the public to safely dispose of unwanted or expired tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs at sites throughout the country.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) continues to exploit five publicly known cyber vulnerabilities, the National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and FBI said in a joint advisory.