Regulations/Legal
Hospital occupancy, ED boarding during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study from Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, finds that hospital occupancy greater than 85% was linked to increased emergency department (ED) boarding beyond the 4-hour standard, during the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020 through December 2021), and ED boarding increased even when hospital occupancy did…
FDA: Class I recall of LivaNova’s LifeSPARC System
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 30 identified the recall by LivaNova (TandemLife) of its LifeSPARC System, Model LS-1000, as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of unintentional extended pump stop during Controller Critical Failure mode, caused by a…
The Joint Commission seeking comments on healthcare equity advanced certification program
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 28 announced it is seeking input from the field on requirements for a new advanced certification program focused on improving healthcare equity. The voluntary program will recognize hospitals that strive for excellence in providing equitable care, treatment, and services across multiple domains, including…
Comparison of US hospital charity care before, after COVID-19
Editor's Note This study from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, finds that between December 2019 and December 2021, nearly one-third of large, tax exempt hospitals improved their charity care policies. Across the 2-year period, 127 of 151 (84.15) hospitals updated their policies, and 77 (51.0%)…
ACS lauds passage of STOP THE BLEED bill in California
Editor's Note The American College Surgeons (ACS) on September 28 announced that the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2260 that requires the installation of trauma bleeding control kits in newly constructed public and private buildings throughout the state. After the legislation was passed, the ACS State Affairs team worked…
Benefits seen in phase 3 of Alzheimer's drug trial
Editor's Note Eisai, the Japanese drug maker, said on Tuesday September 27, that its experimental drug for Alzheimer’s disease helped slow cognitive decline to those experiencing early stages of the illness. In the phase 3 clinical trials, the drug, called lecanemab, slowed cognitive decline by 27% after 18 months, the…
Study: Is nurse staffing legislation needed in New York?
Editor's Note This study by nurse researcher Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that the Safe Staffing for Quality Act under consideration by the New York state assembly would save lives, shorten hospital stays, reduce readmissions, and lower costs.…
Easing the pain of electronic health records: Part 2
Electronic health records (EHRs) can be a force for good, promoting patient safety, but they also often have multiple pain points. OR leaders can take steps to ease those pain points. Part 1 of this two-part series provided an overview of EHR challenges and how managers can work with staff…
CMS quality reporting update for ASCs
A lot has happened with ASC quality measure reporting in the last 2 years, especially this year, says Gina Throneberry, MBA, RN, CNOR, CASC, director, education and clinical affairs, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). Throneberry spoke at the ASCA annual conference in April. In the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid…
CDC eases mask recommendations in nursing homes and hospitals
Editor's Note The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased its mask recommendations for nursing homes and hospitals not experiencing high levels of COVID-19 transmission, US News & World Report September 26 reports. The CDC made these changes to the updated guidelines published on Friday, September 23. Unlike…
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- Healthcare job gain in August offset by losses in federal government, other industries
- AHA study: HOPD Medicare patients are poorer, sicker, more rural than those seen in physician offices
- ACS, Lifesaving Technologies launch nationwide effort to expand bleeding control readiness
- Minimally invasive ICH surgery evacuates clot fast but fails to improve 6-month outcomes
- Rural hospitals face crisis under OBBBA as experts call for cohesive reform
- AMA urges health systems to act now on AI governance
- Suicide Prevention Month: Hospitals prepare for new The Joint Commission suicide prevention goal, effective 2026
- Survey: Perioperative leaders adapt to supply strain, staffing pressure, ASC growth
- Gait retraining eases knee osteoarthritis pain as effectively as medication, can delay knee surgery
- OR leaders must sharpen questions, partnerships as AI reshapes perioperative care