News

The Department of Health and Human Services has extended to Sept. 13 the deadline for applying for its Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund “Phase 2 General Distribution.” The previous deadline was Aug. 28.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued an interim final rule that, among other provisions, makes collecting and reporting COVID-19-data a condition of participation for hospitals that participate in Medicare. 

Associations Now, the American Society of Association Executives’ magazine for nonprofit professionals, has named AHA to its list of “100 Associations That Will Save the World.”

The AHA urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reverse its calendar year 2021 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update of 4.36% behavioral offset for the remainder of CY 2020 and beyond until all CY 2020 data are available for analysis.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 100 confirmed or probable Ebola cases and 43 deaths in Equateur Province since June 1, the World Health Organization reported.

Island child care programs reported just 52 confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases after reopening in June and July, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

AHA Board Chair Melinda Estes, M.D., will be joined by Rachelle Schultz, president and CEO of Winona Health, for the next in a series of Leadership Rounds – short conversations on a range of key issues Dr. Estes will have with hospital and health system leaders from across the country.

An updated AHA resource examines the impact of the social determinants of health on patients and communities as they battle the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for investigational convalescent plasma to treat suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.

There were 54 million U.S. residents 65 or older in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The agency projects that number will grow by nearly 30 million (to 84 million) by 2050. 

In an effort to reduce regulatory burden, the Food and Drug Administration will not require developers to submit a premarket approval application, premarket notification or emergency use authorization for laboratory developed tests, the Department of Health and Human Services announced this week.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, departments of Housing and Urban Development and Agriculture, Administration for Community Living, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Health Resources and Services Administration released a joint informational bulletin to help states better coordinate federal resources and programs to improve rural health and housing for older adults and those with disabilities.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $35 million in grants to support rural hospitals and health care.

Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services extended the Sept. 1 deadline for hospitals to apply for reclassification of their Medicare area wage index for fiscal year 2022 until 15 days after the agency releases its inpatient prospective payment system final rule for FY 2021.

The AHA sent letters to the heads of U.S. operations for five large drug companies — Merck, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, Novartis and AstraZeneca — expressing “profound concern” over actions they are taking to limit the distribution of certain 340B drugs to hospitals and health systems and asking them to “cease this conduct immediately.”

August is traditionally the time to take a break, go on vacation, or just slow it down and relax for a bit. For many people, that’s off the table this year. COVID-19’s impact on health, our economy and our ability to gather in groups has been a game changer for people’s personal plans.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of a rapid point-of-care antigen test to detect SARS-CoV-2 directly from nasal swab specimens.

Jim Skogsbergh, president and CEO of Milwaukee-based Advocate Aurora Health and former AHA chair, Monday participated in a Democratic National Convention roundtable discussion on protecting and strengthening America’s health care system, improving equitable access to quality health care and respecting caregivers.

Despite the recent attention on health inequities endured by Black, Indigenous and people of color and efforts to close health equity gaps, disparities in behavioral health care persist within these communities, writes Rebecca Chickey, senior director of AHA’s Behavioral Health Services and Field Engagement.

Statistics show that doula services — which provide help and suggestions on comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation, movement and positioning — are effective in reducing stress and anxiety in expectant mothers, while improving birthing experience and outcomes.