News

The American Society for Health Care Engineering is supporting the ongoing efforts of hospital and health systems to fight COVID-19 in their communities by convening its 2020 Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition with a virtual participation option.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit affirmed a district court decision dismissing a False Claims Act lawsuit brought by data analysis company Integra Med Analytics against Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health for allegedly using inflated codes to bill Medicare.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $15 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds to 52 tribal health services providers based on need and capacity to respond to COVID-19 in rural tribal communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot across the health care landscape, including how care teams communicate, interact and collaborate with others.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response released resources focused on establishing, funding and operationalizing medical operations coordination cells and alternative care sites.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency this month issued COVID-19 pandemic operational guidance for the forthcoming hurricane season.

The Food and Drug Administration May 27 authorized the emergency use of the Stryker Sustainability Solutions VHP N95 Respirator Decontamination System during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released shows community transmission of COVID-19 in the U.S. was occurring in February of this year.

For three weeks, beginning May 4 and ending May 24, the Department of Health and Human Services said it delivered to states, territories and government agencies more than 12,000 cases of 40 vials each of remdesivir to help treat COVID-19 infections.

AHA voiced support for legislation that would provide an additional $2 billion for hospitals and other health care providers to expand broadband and telehealth services during the COVID-19 crisis through the Federal Communication Commission Rural Health Care Program.

The Census Bureau recently reported that “a third of Americans now show signs of clinical anxiety or depression” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also been reported that Americans are increasingly at risk for “deaths of despair” from substance misuse and suicide, forecasting that the mental health crisis could approach levels of loss similar to COVID-19.

On this Advancing Health podcast, Robyn Begley, AHA senior vice president and chief nursing officer, along with Parkview Health leaders Charles Clark, president of behavioral health, and Paula Bostwick, vice president of behavioral health hospital services, discuss how the health system’s efforts to engage its clinical staff and increase training contributed to a decrease in reported workplace violence and improved safety for patients.

The AHA responded to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services request for information by offering solutions for improving maternal and child health in rural communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges for health care providers, including the way teams communicate and work together.

FDA issued a reminder to health care facilities’ reprocessing staffs to follow the agency-outlined decontamination cycle when using the ASP STERRAD Sterilization System to decontaminate N95 or N95-equivalent respirators for reuse via vaporized hydrogen peroxide.

The FDA authorized the emergency use of certain personal protective equipment to help address insufficient supply due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House Education and Labor Committee’s Workforce Protections Subcommittee held a hearing examining federal actions to protect workers from COVID-19, which featured witnesses from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The Federal Reserve has announced that it is establishing a Main Street Lending Program to support lending to small and medium-sized businesses that were in sound financial condition before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Small Business Administration released an interim final rule to clarify Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness requirements, and the agency’s process for reviewing PPP loan applications and loan forgiveness applications.

In a near unanimous vote, the House of Representatives today passed the Paycheck Flexibility Act (H.R. 7010) to allow more leeway for small business loans during the COVID-19 crisis.