Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on December 1, issued a statement that the California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health have confirmed that a recent case of COVID-19 in an individual in California was caused by the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529). The individual, who has mild…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on November 30, identified the worldwide recall by Teleflex of its Arrow-Trerotola Over-The-Wire PTD Kit Percutaneous Thrombolytic Device: 7FR as Class I, the most serious. The device, which is used for mechanical declotting of native arteriovenous fistulae and synthetic dialysis grafts, was…
Editor's Note A Louisiana federal judge, on November 30, blocked the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers (HCWs) at facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid nationwide, the November 30 Axios reports. In his ruling, the judge says the executive branch does not have the authority to bypass Congress in enforcing…
Editor's Note A federal judge, on November 29, blocked a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers (HCWs) in facilities participating in CMS programs in 10 states, the November 29 Bloomberg Law reports. In his ruling, the judge says the CMS mandate requires…
Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that 30% of healthcare workers (HCWs) in 2,086 US hospitals remained unvaccinated against COVID-19 as of September 15. Analyzing data on more than 3.3 million HCWs, the researchers found that vaccination rates climbed from 36% to…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on November 15, announced the nationwide recall by SterRx, LLC, of 240 lots of its drug products. The recall was initiated because of the lack of sterility assurance due to equipment and process issues. The recalled drugs include: l mg/ml Midazolam in…
Editor's Note A coalition of 12 states, on November 15, sued the federal government to block a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers (HCWs) in facilities participating in CMS programs, the November 16 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. This complaint follows a lawsuit…
Health systems across the country are enacting COVID-19 mandates to comply with a broad-sweeping federal requirement. Amid reports of high compliance rates, the mandate has triggered passionate and visceral responses on both sides of the debate. While some healthcare employees are eager to roll up their sleeves, others decry the…
The growth of value-based healthcare models is changing the way physicians and hospitals provide care. In value-based models, providers are paid based on patient outcomes. The “value” is derived from measuring health outcomes against the cost of delivering the outcomes. This balancing act has now become more achievable with new…
Editor's Note Cleveland Clinic, on November 12, announced that it is requiring all US employees and those who provide services with Cleveland Clinic to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by January 4, 2022. In accordance with federal mandates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, employees who are not fully…
