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…

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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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Editor's Note New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more adults in the US are seeking treatment for mental health issues. Among the findings: The percentage of adults of all ages receiving mental health treatment increased from 19.2% in 2019 to 21.6% in 2021,…

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Editor's Note According to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, 85% of pregnancy-related deaths in 36 states between 2017 and 2019 were preventable based on data from interdisciplinary committees that review deaths during and up to one year after pregnancy, American Hospital Association September 19 reports.…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that COVID-19 vaccines are strongly associated with preventing serious illness. Analyzing data from 192,509 hospitalizations in 250 US hospitals: monthly COVID-19 associated hospitalization rates ranged from 3.5 to 17.7 times higher in unvaccinated…

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Editor's Note On Wednesday, August 18, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky shared planned changes with CDC leadership and staff to “transform” the agency and its  culture, with the goal of "improving how the agency shares information, develops public health guidance, and communicates with the American…

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Editor's Note  On Friday, August 12, the New York State Department of Health and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced that polio (poliomyelitis) was detected in local wastewater, Becker’s Hospital Review August 15 reports. "For every one case of paralytic polio identified, hundreds more may…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on August 11 updated its guidelines for COVID-19. The new recommendations focus on helping people better understand their risks, how to protect themselves and others, what actions to take if exposed, and what actions to take if they test positive…

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Editor's Note A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs report finds that a large number of people diagnosed with hepatitis C are not receiving treatment, Heathcare Purchasing News July 10 reports. Although hepatitis C is curable with oral medication, if left untreated, it can cause liver…

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Editor's Note On Wednesday August 10, the Department of Health and Human Services released the Environmental Justice Index (EJI), a tool used to identify health risks from pollution and other environmental hazards, the American Hospital Association July 10 reports. The EJI is the first national, geographic-driven tool utilized to measure…

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