Hospitals and health systems are paying $24 billion more per year for clinical labor than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis released by Premier.
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) News
Below are links to AHA Today stories on novel coronavirus (COVID-19). For all coronavirus resources and news updates, visit our COVID-19 page.
Latest
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has modified its COVID-19 blanket waiver for Medicare-dependent hospitals (MDHs) to include hospitals that became newly classified as MDHs during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The AHA released a new issue of the COVID-19 Snapshot, underscoring the persisting challenges facing hospitals and health systems during the ongoing public health emergency.
The frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms among U.S. adults increased after August 2020 and peaked during December 2020 and January 2021, mirroring the national weekly number of new COVID-19 cases, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
AstraZeneca said it has requested an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for its long-acting antibody combination for the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccinations may have helped prevent an estimated 265,000 COVID-19 infections, 107,000 hospitalizations and 39,000 deaths among Medicare beneficiaries between January and May 2021, according to a study released by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
The Health Resources and Services Administration Oct. 5 will host the second in a series of webinar sessions on how to apply for a portion of $25.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funds.
by Rick Pollack
Getting all health care personnel vaccinated against COVID-19 is the right thing to do to keep patients, staff and communities safe. Using a federal regulatory approach to achieve this important goal introduces new challenges that the AHA is working to address.
The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau committed $41 million in funding to 72 health care providers under Round 2 of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program.
Adults with a disability are more likely than adults without one to report difficulty getting a COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
The AHA released the latest edition of the COVID-19 Snapshot, underscoring the persisting challenges facing hospitals and health systems during the ongoing public health emergency.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged clinicians to educate pregnant patients about the benefits and safety of COVID-19 vaccination; and encourage and offer vaccination to patients who are pregnant, recently pregnant or might become pregnant to increase vaccination rates in this population.
The Health Resources and Services Administration has opened the portal for health care providers to apply through Oct. 26 for a portion of $25.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funds, the agency announced.
The AHA, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association applauded the recent decision by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow access to a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for nurses, physicians and others working in health care settings.
In AHA’s newest #MyWhy video, a hospital Spanish interpreter discusses concerns he hears from the Latino community about the COVID-19 vaccine as well as what led him to get the vaccine.
Data from the nation’s initial set of patients receiving COVID-19 booster shots found similar rates and types of adverse reactions, such as pain at the injection site, headache or fatigue, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
The White House Office of the United States Trade Representative extended through Nov. 14 tariff exemptions for certain medical care products needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic while it considers “further extensions and/or modifications as appropriate."
Commenting on a forthcoming Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ rule requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in most health care settings receiving Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement, AHA urged the agency to include appropriate safeguards to preserve access to care in all communities; provide clear information about how hospitals can demonstrate compliance and how CMS will conduct enforcement; and minimize the potential for misalignment and duplication with existing federal vaccine-related policies.
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
On this episode, I discuss emergency preparedness, caregiver resiliency and health equity — all through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic — with Fritz Francois, M.D., chief medical officer and patient safety officer at New York University Langone Health and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
AHA urged the Office of the United States Trade Representative to extend the current Section 301 tariff exemptions for certain medical devices to ensure hospitals and health systems have the supplies they need to continue to safely and effectively care for all patients. Without an extension, the exemptions are set to expire Sept. 30.