Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF) on January 23 announced the recipients of the 2022 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The Awards recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. This year’s recipients; Made advancements related to…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is hosting a new dashboard—Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET)—that tracks hospitalization rates for laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, influenza, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) by age, sex, race/ethnicity, state, and season. The information is based on data from a network of acute…

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Editor's Note According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022 ended on a high note as far as healthcare employment trends go, with December reflecting 16,687,700 employed workers—up 54,700 from November—and a rise of 15,700 in hospital jobs. Overall healthcare job growth in 2022 averaged 49,000 jobs each month, compared with…

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Editor's Note ECRI on January18 published its Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report for 2023, which includes: Gaps in recalls for at-home medical devices Defective single-use medical devices Automated dispensing cabinet overrides Undetected venous needle dislodgement Cybersecurity risks associated with cloud-based clinical systems Inflatable pressure infusers Confusion about ventilator cleaning…

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Editor's Note The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) on January 18 released a revised American National Standard that includes new information for manufacturers and users of personal protective equipment (PPE). The new edition of “ANSI/AAMI PB70:2022, Liquid barrier performance and classification of protective apparel and drapes intended…

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Takeaways • OR nurse leaders are becoming a force in healthcare legislation. • Legislators value nursing expertise and want to collaborate with nurses on healthcare legislation. • It is easier than expected to get involved with legislation to improve patient safety, support staff, and optimize the workplace. Tracy Hoeft-Hoffman, MSN,…

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) develops conditions of participation (CoPs) and Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) that healthcare organizations must meet in order to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Payers, including government payers, require facility certification or accreditation for reimbursement. “Reimbursement is the critical piece,” says Becky…

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Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has updated its 2017 guidelines for preoperative fasting and the use of pharmacologic agents to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration. The new 2023 guidance focuses on topics not addressed in the previous guideline, including ingestion of carbohydrate-containing clear liquids with or…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on January 17, announced the publication of two new resources to help reduce mortality and morbidity in pregnant and postpartum patients. Sentinel Event Alert, Issue 66: Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities causing mortality and morbidity in pregnant and postpartum patients—emphasizes the effects of social determinants…

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Editor's Note On January 10, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) reported on a new best practice guideline released to help healthcare professionals screen trauma patients for mental health disorders and substance misuse. Because alcohol and substance misuse problems are prevalent and increasing in trauma patients, this guideline is an…

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