News

The AHA, American Medical Association, and American Nurses Association urged Senate leaders to include in the next COVID-19 relief bill provisions to strengthen the federal response for racial and ethnic minority and marginalized communities, which are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

In situations where supplies are limited, the National Institutes of Health’s COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel recommended prioritizing remdesivir for use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who require supplemental oxygen but are not mechanically ventilated or on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will distribute a second round of funding from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to hospitals that have been highly impacted by COVID-19. Payments totaling $10 billion will go out to over 1,000 hospitals as early as July 20.

Congress returns to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and the stakes are extremely high. The Senate will begin serious negotiations on the next COVID-19 relief package, and we expect Congress to pass legislation before the August congressional recess.

Spectrum Health Lakeland in Saint Joseph, Mich., and Novant Health in Winston-Salem, N.C., will receive 2020 Circle of Life Awards for their programs to expand the reach of palliative and end-of-life care.

Drug overdose deaths in the United States rose 4.6% in 2019 to 70,980, including 50,042 involving opioids, according to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules establishing 988 as the nationwide phone number to connect people experiencing mental health crises to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a network of 163 crisis centers that last year answered more than 2.2 million calls and 100,000 online chats.

Disproportionate rates of COVID-19 illness and death among racial and ethnic minorities likely stem from a higher probability of exposure to the virus at work and at home, according to a study by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality researchers published in Health Affairs.

The Food and Drug Administration added to its FAQs on testing for SARS-CoV-2 a list of laboratories that should no longer be used.

AHA issued a refresh of its COVID-19 resource on ways hospitals and health systems are caring for mothers and babies during the pandemic.

The Internal Revenue Service July 6 issued a clarification on the tax treatment of funds received from the Provider Relief Fund.

Americans overwhelmingly support hospitals and further aid as front-line health care providers fight to defeat COVID-19, regardless of party affiliation, according to a poll released by the Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care.

All hospitals regardless of ownership provide a comprehensive range of benefits and essential services to their communities.

AHA voiced support for the Critical Access Hospital Expansion Act (H.R. 6693), legislation that would reopen the “necessary provider” designation to eligible rural hospitals.

To aid hospitals and health systems in identifying health disparity gaps, Elisa Arespacochaga, vice president of the AHA Physician Alliance and interim executive lead of AHA's Institute for Diversity and Health Equity, highlights new race, ethnicity and language (REaL) data resources and tools to help health care providers meet the needs of minority and vulnerable populations in the fight against COVID-19 and beyond.

Through its 100 Million Mask Challenge AHA partnered with Microsoft, UPS, Kaiser Permanente, Goodwill, Merit Solutions and consulting firm Kearney to create HealthEquip, a smart app to connect hospitals treating COVID-19 patients with donations of personal protective equipment.

The Food and Drug Administration added dexamethasone sodium phosphate to its lists for temporary compounding by outsourcing facilities and pharmacy compounders during the COVID-19 emergency.

Two new case studies affirm that cloth face coverings “are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when used universally within communities,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The Queen’s Health Systems in Honolulu, Hawaii, shared how COVID-19 has caused significant financial challenges for the organization and why Congress needs to provide additional support to hospitals and health systems.

The first human study evaluating an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna Inc. produced neutralizing antibodies in healthy adults, who generally tolerated the vaccine well, the National Institutes of Health reports.