Editor's Note The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), in June, published a response rebuking a joint statement issued by several GI societies opposing the "ANSI/AAMI ST91:2021, Flexible and semi-rigid endoscope processing in health care facilities." Many of the ST91 working group were dismayed that the GI society’s…

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Editor's Note This study from the University of Washington, Seattle, finds that a group coaching program designed to reduce stress and teach resilience was associated with improved mental health outcomes in healthcare workers (HCWs) during COVID-19. A total of 153 participants provided informed consent for the study with a mean…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on July 20 identified the recall by Smiths Medical of certain Medfusion 3500 and 4000 Syringe Infusion Pumps as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of eight software malfunctions that affect different serial numbers and software versions. There have…

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Editor's Note At least six hospitals across the country have recently cut services or announced plans “to scale back care,” Becker’s Hospital Review July 19 reports. Staffing shortage was the reason each facility cited for the move. The hospitals and cut services are: UH Bedford (Ohio) Medical Center and UH…

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Editor's Note On July 19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisers said the 26 to 37 million adults in the US who have yet to get a COVID-19 vaccination should consider the “more traditional” vaccine Novavax, Modern Healthcare July 19 reports. Novavax is the “first so-called protein vaccine”…

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Editor's Note A June 2022 study, titled “The Periodontal Pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum Exacerbates Alzheimer’s Pathogenesis via Specific Pathways” and published by Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, found that Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum), a common bacteria associated with oral conditions, may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease, HealthLine July 19 reports. According to…

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Editor's Note This study, led by the University of Miami and sponsored by the CDC, finds that unvaccinated first responders (eg, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and others) were more likely to develop COVID-19 and less likely to believe in the effectiveness and safety of vaccines than their vaccinated counterparts. Of…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons Quality Verification Program (ACS QVP) on July 18 recognized its inaugural 25 verified hospitals during the ACS Quality and Safety Conference in Chicago. Launched last summer, ACS QVP provides a standardized method for establishing, measuring, and improving a hospital’s quality infrastructure in all…

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Editor's Note  According to a May 2022 study from UCLA Health, liquid biopsies for certain cancers are becoming more popular because they are less invasive, Healthcare Purchasing News July 18 reports. This method can be used to monitor cancer treatment and accurately evaluate effectiveness. In this study, UCLA researchers studied…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 15 released its Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule that would raise rates by a net 2.7% in CY 2023. This update is based on the projected hospital market basket percentage increase of 3.1%, reduced by 0.4%…

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