News

Three-quarters of the 469 COVID-19 cases associated with summer events and large public gatherings this month in Barnstable County, Mass., were in people fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 8.9 million children aged 12-17 have received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded $250 million in grants to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services through Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

AHA joined 27 other organizations that serve the mental, emotional and behavioral health of children in urging Congress to strengthen the pediatric mental health delivery system and infrastructure.  

The COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund has been a lifeline for hospitals, health systems and health care providers, allowing them to continue to put the health and safety of patients and health care personnel first. In many cases, the funds ensured they were able to keep their doors open. 

President Biden announced new actions to spur more vaccinations nationwide against COVID-19, due in part to the rise of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant

Communities of color, who over the past year have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, also experienced emotional distress exacerbated by events surrounding the murder of George Floyd.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the Infant Well-Child Visit Learning Collaborative, a webinar series and affinity group to help state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs increase well-child visits for infants from birth to 12 months old.

The Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration released a proposed rule intended to support domestic production of products critical to national and economic security.

The AHA released new Spanish-language public service announcements and related content pieces to support vaccination efforts and complement previously released English-language PSAs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host an Aug. 11 webinar on complying with the hospital price transparency rule, which took effect Jan. 1.

The House voted 219-208 to approve legislation that would provide $253.8 billion in funding for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in fiscal year 2022, a 28% increase over the prior fiscal year.

AHA urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to make permanent COVID-19 waivers that removed regulatory barriers to better patient care, and temporarily extend certain other waivers beyond the public health emergency to help hospitals transition back to normal care delivery.

The Food and Drug Administration July 28 extended to six months the shelf life for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The Provider Relief Fund Deadline Extension Act (S. 2493/H.R. 4735) was introduced in the Senate and House. The AHA-supported bill would allow providers that received COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund payments prior to June 30, 2020, to use their payments through Dec. 31, 2021, or the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, whichever is later.

More than 900 hospital and health system leaders virtually came together today for the 2021 AHA Leadership Summit. The conference focuses on transformational strategies and innovative approaches for delivering greater value and health equity through operational excellence, creative partnerships and redefined delivery models.

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine is confirming the role Medicare plays in decreasing disparities in health care access and coverage in the U.S.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and FBI, Australian Cyber Security Centre, and United Kingdom National Cyber Security Centre released an advisory detailing the top 30 cyber vulnerabilities in 2020 and 2021. 

The AHA joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Medical Association in urging the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to void a district court decision that refused to allow the case to proceed in federal court and denied the full protections of the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2005 for health care providers and other covered entities involved in the administration, manufacture, distribution, use or allocation of countermeasures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health care providers, associations and federally qualified health centers may apply through Aug. 30 for $29 million in grants to help promote resilience, mental health and wellness in the health care workforce, the Health Resources and Services Administration announced.