News

Although COVID-19 has been a significant contributor to the substance abuse epidemic, it does not explain the large number of drug overdose deaths between May 2019 and May 2020 — the most ever recorded in a 12-month period, writes Holly Geyer, M.D., hospital internal medicine practitioner at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.

Join the AHA Physician Alliance for a webinar May 25 at 1 p.m. ET on data-driven solutions to workforce burnout, which can increase turnover and reduce patient satisfaction and safety.

Learn how hospital and health system leaders such as Karen Murphy, R.N., executive vice president, chief innovation officer and founding director of Geisinger’s Steele Institute for Healthcare Innovation, are applying digital technologies to increase efficiency, support clinical decision-making and improve outcomes.

President Biden directed federal agencies to take certain actions to remove barriers to sharing cyber threat information with the private sector, enhance security in the software supply chain and better detect cyber incidents on federal networks.

Adopting the advice of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last night recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12 to 15, paving the way for providers to begin vaccinating them immediately.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its interim guidance stating that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, indoors or outdoors.

The Circle of Life Awards each year recognize and celebrate innovation in palliative and end-of-life care.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra swore in Andrea Palm as deputy secretary. Confirmed by the Senate yesterday, Palm previously served as secretary-designee of Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services and in several leadership roles at HHS during the Obama-Biden administration.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded states and territories $40 million in emergency funding from the American Rescue Plan Act for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, which provides voluntary home visits to improve maternal and child health for families in high-risk communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for administration in adolescents ages 12 to 15.

Seventy-nine representatives urged Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to take a number of actions related to the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund.

The National Academy of Medicine released a report on priorities for the nursing profession over the next decade to meet the needs of the U.S. population and achieve health equity, which range from strengthening nursing education and promoting diversity and equity in nursing education and the workforce to protecting nurses’ health and well-being. 

State and local governments can apply through July 6 for grants of up to $125,000 each to develop multi-sector plans to address social determinants of health to improve chronic disease outcomes in populations experiencing health disparities and inequities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.

The AHA supports adding data classes and elements to future versions of the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability to capture standardized data on social determinants of health, but suggests prioritizing technical infrastructure development, incorporating lessons learned and continuing investments in real-world testing, the association told the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reminding stakeholders that funding is available under FEMA’s Public Assistance program, including for community engagement and information dissemination to promote vaccination availability, scheduling, and accessibility, as well as reimbursement for activities to increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released an interim final rule requiring long-term care facilities in the Medicare and Medicaid programs to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff, educate them on the benefits and potential side effects, and begin reporting weekly COVID-19 vaccination and treatment data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network by June 13.

The Department of the Treasury released an interim final rule implementing $350 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding to help state, local and tribal governments recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Food and Drug Administration announced the expansion of its emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents ages 12 to 15.

The FBI released an alert on the ransomware variant Darkside, which this month infected a critical infrastructure company in the United States. The ransomware-as-a-service variant has affected various sectors since October 2020, including health care.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health Resources and Services Administration should disaggregate and analyze maternal health data for rural and underserved communities, and adjust maternal health program efforts to meet the needs in those communities, the Government Accountability Office said in a report.