News

The Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Dec. 17 recommended the approval of Moderna’s mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

To continue emphasizing the message of protecting against both the flu and COVID-19, AHA’s Wear A Mask and United Against the Flu campaigns released new resources, including new sample social media messages, several graphics and a video that hospitals and health systems can use to reiterate the importance of getting a flu shot, wearing a mask and practicing good hygiene.

To help advance the public’s confidence and trust in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution, the AHA has launched a COVID-19 vaccine webpage for individuals.

The AHA urged Congress to extend the Paycheck Protection Program as part of end-of-the-year legislation and to maintain eligibility at the current level of 500 or fewer employees for those organizations who need additional support through a second loan.

For 50 weeks this year, this Friday column has tracked the ups and downs, the triumphs and the setbacks of the most heroic chapter in the history of America’s hospitals and health systems.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it is extending the third quarter 2020 data submission deadlines for several of its quality reporting and value programs for hospitals, post-acute care and other providers.

Children’s Wisconsin developed a communication tool — Patient Journey — to proactively address families’ expectations and concerns by providing information before, during and after procedures.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it is extending the third quarter 2020 data submission deadlines for several of its quality reporting and value programs for hospitals, post-acute care and other providers.

The AHA announced key leadership appointments to reflect the increasing focus and importance of health equity and workforce in the association’s strategic activities.

In an alert this week, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) reminded health care providers and researchers to patch any vulnerabilities in their Picture Archiving Communication Systems that could expose patient records to unauthorized access.

As the nation grapples with the complicated logistics of fair and efficient vaccine distribution, this conversation with two senior officials from the National Urban League explores best practices and strategies hospitals and health systems can use to reach Black, Latinx and underserved communities.

Enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program increased 5.6% between July 2019 and July 2020, driven largely by the economic downturn created by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released by the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services posted additional information to help health care providers implement six new ICD-10 diagnosis codes for reporting conditions related to COVID-19 on medical claims effective Jan. 1. The information includes updated coding guidelines, code descriptions and other details. 

The Food and Drug Administration authorized a prescription BinaxNOW COVID-19 test for use by patients at home, in partnership with a telehealth service that will take users through the sample collection process and assist in reading and understanding the results.

Drug overdose deaths increased 18% over the 12-month period that ended in May to a record 81,230, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory.

AHA launched #MyWhy, a social media campaign that amplifies health care workers’ voices on the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

The AHA released a new edition of the COVID-19 Snapshot, highlighting the critical needs of hospitals and health systems during the deepening public health emergency.

The Food and Drug Administration Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Prevention has addressed new information that shipped vials of Pfizer’s BND162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine contain extra doses, indicating that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable from each product vial.

A Federal Communications Commission advisory panel this week recommended best practices for voice service providers, hospitals, and federal and state governments to prevent unlawful robocalls from disrupting communications in hospitals.

U.S. spending on health care grew 4.6% in 2019, similar to 2018 but slightly more than overall growth in the economy, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported in Health Affairs.