News

Effective April 4, the Department of Health and Human Services will no longer require COVID-19 testing facilities to report negative results for tests authorized for use under a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment certificate of waiver, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. 

The International Hospital Federation, of which the AHA is a member, issued a statement expressing concern about the escalation of violence affecting hospitals and health care personnel in Ukraine as Russia continues its attack on the country. 

The Senate passed and sent to the president for his signature a $1.5 trillion omnibus appropriations bill funding the federal government through the end of the current fiscal year.

NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi said, “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a civilization work.”

Health Facilities Management, the magazine for AHA’s American Society for Health Care Engineering, recently launched a series of articles exploring how climate change and climate events impact health care facilities and their planning, preparedness and response efforts.

AHA will host a conversation between three of Cleveland’s premier health system leaders during the upcoming Accelerating Health Equity Conference. Akram Boutros, M.D., president and CEO of The MetroHealth System, Cliff A. Megerian, M.D., CEO of University Hospitals, and Tomislav Mihaljevic, M.D., president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, will discuss the actions they’ve taken to advance health equity and strengthen partnerships in their own communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released evidence-based recommendations to prevent and control central line-associated blood stream infections in neonatal intensive care unit patients.

An estimated 28% of children aged 5-11 received a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine between Nov. 1 and Jan. 18, while 19% received a second dose, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a Medicare payment code effective Feb. 24 for administering the combination monoclonal antibody therapy Evusheld to prevent COVID-19 in certain patients.

The AHA voiced support for the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R. 7053 /S. 3792), bipartisan legislation that would extend the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ acute hospital care at home waiver program two years beyond the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency

The House of Representatives passed a $1.5 trillion omnibus appropriations bill that would fund the federal government through the end of the current fiscal year.

Most adults aged 50 to 80 have concerns when deciding whether to have elective surgery but are very satisfied with the outcome if they have the surgery done, according to the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. 

In AHA’s newest Advancing Health podcast, recorded for International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Priya Bathija, AHA’s vice president of strategic initiatives, talks to journalist and author Anushay Hossain about the health care experience of women, particularly women of color.

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are retiring their 3G networks, which could impact fire alarm and other building communication systems that use 3G service, the AHA’s American Society for Health Care Engineering advised members.

Fresenius Kabi USA recalledseven lots of sodium acetate injection after finding particulate matter in sample vials, which could cause infection or other serious adverse events if administered. No adverse events were reported.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Office of Minority Health plan to award $35 million through seven grant programs to support mental health and suicide prevention for children and young adults, including $9.2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The House Appropriations Committee announced an agreement on omnibus appropriations legislation funding the federal government through the end of the current fiscal year.

To support National Patient Safety Awareness Week, which starts Sunday, the American Society for Health Care Risk Management has developed free tip sheets and other resources to promote patient safety at hospitals.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will conduct focused inspections through June 9 to assess compliance and readiness at certain hospitals and skilled nursing facilities that treat or handle COVID-19 patients, the agency announced.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response began distributing two COVID-19 antiviral pills directly to certain pharmacy-based clinics, federal health centers and long-term care facilities so their clinicians can prescribe them to eligible patients or residents who test positive for the virus.