Editor's Note This study from the Cleveland Clinic finds that COVID-19-positive patients have a higher risk of postoperative mortality, and risk factors should be carefully evaluated before intervention. The analysis included 2,543 patients who had 3,027 surgical procedures. About half of the patients were male with a mean age of…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission and Kaiser Permanente, on November 8, announced two winners of the 2022 Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity—NYC Health + Hospitals, New York, and Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, Houston. The award recognizes healthcare organizations that led initiatives that…
Editor's Note Vials of the chemotherapy drug fludarabine could be purchased at a whole sale price of $110 last year—today, it is being sold for a much higher price, Fierce Pharma November 1 reports. One company, Areva Pharmeceuticals, increased the price to $2,736, Stat News reported on October 27. This…
Editor's Note The International Committee of the Red Cross plans to create a digital symbol, similar to its distinctive red symbol, as a warning sign to hackers who attempt to break into hospital networks, The Wall Street Journal November 4 reports. The Red Cross proposed three different options at a…
Editor's Note This study by investigators in the Framingham Heart Study—an ongoing, prospective cohort study evaluating cardiovascular disease risk factors—finds that systemic symptoms after COVID-19 vaccination were associated with greater antibody response than local only or no symptoms. A total of 928 of 3,200 Framingham Heart Study participants completed this…
Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in October to a seasonally adjusted 16,577,200 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on November 4. That’s up 52,600 since September. Hospital employment also was up by 10,800 jobs. The overall unemployment rate for October rose to 3.7%, for…
Editor's Note This study from Columbia University Medical Center, New York City, which was presented November 5 at the ASN [American Society of Nephrology] Kidney Week 2022 in Orlando, examines the effect of kidney disease and other conditions on COVID-19 outcomes during four waves of the pandemic in New York…
Editor's Note ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices PSO, on November 7, named Monument Health of Rapid City, South Dakota, the winner of the 2022 Safety Excellence Award. The healthcare system set a strategic goal to improve culture of safety, increase incident and near-miss event reporting, and enrich…
Editor's Note Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida, via an initiative spearheaded by Jennifer Goldman, DO, chief of Memorial Primary Care, began including social determinants of health (SDOH) data in its electronic health record (EHR), “where doctors can see and act of them”—and that is improving patient care, HealthLeaders November…
Editor's Note According to a November 1 news release from Business Wire, a study done by Elevance Health shows that to 79% of patients surveyed, virtual primary care, or telehealth, has allowed them to take charge of their health, Becker’s Hospital Review November 1 reports. The study was conducted online…