Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources and Special Communications

In a Jan. 7 letter, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take steps to speed COVID-19 vaccinations. “In the first few weeks of administering vaccines, hospitals have seen a number of barriers to smooth and effective vaccinations

To elicit more public gratitude for nurses, The DAISY Foundation kicked off a billboard campaign in New York City’s Time Square this month.

In rural Nebraska, a hospital CEO has posted daily updates about the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing important information with staff and the entire community since late March.

[OPEN FORUM] Join us as the Association for the Health Care Environment (AHE) Executive Director Patti Costello hosts CDC’s Drs. Michael Bell and Abigail Carlson for this Project Firstline event. Dr. Bell and Dr. Carlson, who serves as the infection control advisor and subject matter expert for Project Firstline, will be leading the discussion to share what EVERY health care worker on the frontlines needs to know about infection control and the environment of care — and discuss why giving EVS leaders a "seat at the table" is crucial to organizational success. This forward-thinking event is one of a series of opportunities designed to support health care workers on the frontlines.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today updated

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to place unprecedented demands on America’s health care system. The recent sharp increase in the number of patients needing acute hospital care means that some hospitals could face more significant shortages of staff and medical supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and oxygen, hospital beds, medicines and medical devices such as ventilators.

A protocol reduced episodes of self-harm among at-risk patients in one large, urban emergency department (ED) by more than half, according to a study in this month’s Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.

To support the “Thank a Nurse, Wear a Mask” campaign to promote safe behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19

A framework developed during the pandemic helped inform decision-making on when to curtail non-COVID-19 procedures at HCA Healthcare in Nashville, Tenn., according to former American hospital Association (AHA) Board Chair Jonathan Perlin M.D., president, clinical operations, and chief medical officer at HCA.

To reduce the risk of false negative results for COVID-19, the FDA issued guidance this week for safely using the Curative SARS-CoV-2 test.

Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, occurred in 11.1 cases per million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered in the United States during the week of Dec. 14, 2020.

A five-minute video from the Ad Council, a nonprofit organization that produces public service announcements, provides advice tailored for nurses on answering patient questions about COVID-19 vaccination.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have observed—since the summer of 2020—a surge of DoppelPaymer ransomware attacks against emergency services and healthcare entities. This activity has negatively impacted the provision of critical services to citizens.

AHA letter urging HHS to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to the hospital price transparency rule.

In this podcast, Priya Bathija, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the AHA, moderates a discussion between Tom Nordwick, CEO of Uvalde Memorial Hospital, and Phil Sklar, Co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, on continued PPE needs of hospitals and how non-traditional organizations have sought to help address these needs. Uvalde received over 7,000 PPE items from the Bobblehead donation.

This report offers key considerations drawn from the forum of expert panelists who are effectively planning ahead to facilitate financial recovery with a strategic focus, including capital strategy, expense management, growth and investment towards a new future. 

H-ISAC TLP Green Daily Coronavirus Update January 4, 2021

To help advance the public’s confidence and trust in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution, the AHA continues to develop and collate resources that hospitals and health systems can use as COVID-19 vaccines become available in their communities.

AHA comments on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ hospital outpatient prospective payment system and ambulatory surgical center payment system final rule with comment period for calendar year 2021.

The House and Senate Dec. 21 approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 – legislation that includes roughly $900 billion in COVID-19 relief and a number of provisions beneficial to hospitals and health systems, and $1.4 trillion in spending that will fund the federal government for fiscal year 2021.