HCA Healthcare revenue curtailed by labor costs
Editor's Note HCA Healthcare, the biggest health system in the US comprising 182 hospitals and some 2,300 ambulatory sides based in Nashville, Tennessee, announced on April 22 that its first quarter financial and operating results fell short of projections, HealthLeaders April 22 reports. Despite an increase in revenue, higher labor…
Report: Number of COVID-19-related deaths may be 3x higher globally
Editor's Note According to an “estimate of excess mortality” by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, “more than 3 times” the known number of people who have succumbed to COVID-19 “may have died around the world due to direct and indirect effects” of the…
Major jump in corporation-owned physician practices since pre-pandemic
Editor's Note A report published by Avalere, titled “COVID-19’s Impact on Acquisitions of Physician Practices and Physician Employment 2019-2021,” revealed that the overall number of corporate-owned physician practices has grown by 84% since 2019, Becker’s ASC Review April 21 reports. What this suggests, Becker’s noted, is an acceleration of corporate-driven…
Study: Moral distress experienced by nurses on frontlines of COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note In this study, nurse researchers from DePaul University in Chicago document the emotions of 100 nurses throughout the US who cared for patients during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the findings: Nurses described many forms of frustration while providing patient care, such as frustration with healthcare…
The Joint Commission, AHA launch Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification program
Editor's Note The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association, on April 20, announced the launch of a Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification program, which recognizes hospitals providing care to the most complex and critically ill patients. To be certified, hospitals must provide 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week on-site coverage for primary percutaneous…
Rates of COVID-19 infection in unvaccinated adults with prior COVID-19
Editor's Note This study from the University of Chicago finds that unvaccinated adults with prior COVID-19 infection had an 85% lower risk of acquiring COVID-19 again than unvaccinated adults without prior COVID-19. The researchers analyzed data from patients tested for COVID-19 at 1,300 sites of care in 6 western states…
The Joint Commission announces 2021 Eisenberg Award recipients
Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum, on April 20, announced the 2021 recipients of the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards, which recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. The awardees are: Individual Achievement Awardee: Hardeep Singh, MD,…
Cybersecurity alert: New ‘exceptionally aggressive’ ransomware threat
Editor's Note In an HC3: Analyst Note alert released on April 18, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a cybersecurity threat warning for a new ransomware group named Hive that HHS called “exceptionally aggressive” and “financially motivated,” Becker’s Health IT April 20 reports. According to the alert,…
CMS releases FY 2023 hospital IPPS proposed rule
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), on April 18, released the FY 2023 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule. The rule would increase payment rates by a net 3.2% for acute care hospitals that participate in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and…
ECRI opens new headquarters
Editor's Note In an April 20 news release, ECRI announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art, global headquarters and medical device evaluation laboratory, which is on a 24-acre campus in the Philadelphia region. The headquarters also includes an environmental lab, an accident and forensic investigation lab, high-tech meeting rooms, and…
Free Daily News
- Study explores link between diverticulitis and colorectal cancer
- State lawmakers target rising healthcare costs via legislation on hospital facility fees
- FDA medical device Class 1 recalls trend upward
- Data cast doubt on recommendation to delay weight-loss meds prior to surgery
- AAMI guidance covers sterile processing of dilators, ultrasound probes
- Surgical site infections often caused by preexisting bacteria
- The Joint Commission launches new telehealth accreditation program
- FDA announces class 1 recall for disposable biopsy needle kit
- Report: Consistent, purposeful manager-team engagement reduces RN turnover
- Death, hospital readmission less likely for women treated by female doctors