News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first possible U.S. case of community-spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), in a patient in northern California with no known potential exposure through travel or another infected patient.

Health care providers should periodically assess older adults for social isolation and loneliness, and initiate potential preventive interventions for individuals at elevated risk due to life events, such as loss of a significant relationship or geographic move, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services presented a 2020 CMS Health Equity Award to Atrium Health, formerly known as Carolinas HealthCare System, for its efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer screening rates.

Smoking, diabetes and hospital readmission rates fall and exercising and healthy eating increases in communities where hospitals and health systems use effective strategies to encourage healthy behavior changes, writes Nancy Myers, vice president of leadership and system innovation at the AHA Center for Health Innovation.

The Alliance for Addiction Payment Reform, whose members include the AHA, showcased its value-based payment model for addiction and recovery support services at a briefing for congressional lawmakers and staff.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $117 million in grants to expand HIV prevention and treatment services in high-risk areas as part of the administration’s plan to end the HIV epidemic.

Four drugs used in hospitals for years increased their prices between 525% and 1,644% after receiving formal approval through the Food and Drug Administration’s Unapproved Drug Initiative, according to an analysis released by Vizient. 

The Department of Health and Human Services is aware of 20 pharmaceutical products made or with a critical active ingredient solely sourced in China, but to date is not aware of any expected shortages, HHS Secretary Alex Azar told House appropriators.

he novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will spread in the U.S., and hospitals, communities and individuals should ramp up their preparedness efforts, Nancy Messonnier, M.D., director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases said.

Federal Trade Commissioner Christine Wilson clarified remarks published in certain publications last month that quoted her saying the agency will challenge every hospital merger in the pipeline.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic albuterol sulfate inhaler to treat and prevent bronchospasms in patients with asthma or reversible obstructive airway disease.

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals announced an agreement in principle on a settlement to resolve all opioid-related claims against the company in multidistrict litigation against drug makers and others over their alleged role in the opioid crisis.

The Food and Drug Administration released the first phase of its searchable Purple Book database, which includes all FDA-approved biosimilar and interchangeable products.

“The recent Modern Healthcare article ‘Top not-for-profit hospitals offer less charity care, study finds,’ does not tell the full story of how hospitals and health systems improve community health,” writes AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack in a letter to the editor.

The World Health Organization said that for the time being it will not categorize the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic, mainly because of the virus’ contained spread and lack of large-scale severe disease and deaths.

One of our field’s greatest strengths is not only our ability to innovate, but also our willingness to share our efforts so we can learn from each other to advance patient health.

The AHA, joined by the Association of American Medical Colleges and a number of member hospitals, filed a brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to affirm a district court ruling that voided the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ calendar year 2019 payment cut for hospital outpatient services provided in grandfathered off-campus provider-based departments. 

The next Age-Friendly Health System Action Community will commence March 25 and run through October, offering free monthly webinars and an in-person meeting to help hospitals and health systems integrate “age-friendly” health care.

The Department of Health and Human Services finalized its strategy to reduce regulatory and administrative burdens for health care providers using electronic health records and other health information technology.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Feb. 20 issued a rule proposing changes to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model, which bundles payment to acute care hospitals for hip and knee replacement surgery.