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by Rick Pollack
President Biden has expressed his hope that America will have a normal, or as close to normal as possible, Fourth of July this year. All the signs increasingly point to fulfillment of that wish — a wish we all share.
Hospitals and health systems lost 5,800 jobs in April, as U.S. jobs overall increased by 266,000, according to preliminary data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A recent Lown Institute report ranking hospitals on what it deems as unnecessary services, tests and procedures attempts to make sweeping conclusions about hospital value based on data that are not only incomplete, but also not current, writes Ashley Thompson, AHA's senior vice president for public policy analysis and development.  
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released interpretive guidance on hospital admission, discharge, and transfer notification requirements outlined in its May 2020 final rule on interoperability and patient access, which includes Medicare conditions of participation for hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and critical access hospitals.
Effective immediately, Medicare will pay $750 to administer monoclonal antibodies to COVID-19 patients in their residence or temporary lodging and increase payment to administer them in most other care settings to $450 from $310 to better align payment with provider costs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.
The Centers for Disease Control’s independent advisory committee will meet May 12 for what’s expected to be a discussion of Pfizer’s request to authorize the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine on children aged 12 to 15.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should reconsider its decision to discontinue coverage of tele-audio services when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends, writes Blaine Greenwald, M.D., vice chair and director of geriatric psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, N.Y., noting that a significant proportion of older adults lack access to tele-video services
Providence, Henry Ford Health System and Northwell Health joined with other health care providers to form Truveta, a platform that de-identifies data and uses artificial intelligence to mine datasets, providing new insights into the unique needs of their patient populations.
As a rural provider, Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera Behavioral Health sees a high rate of suicide and drug overdoses. To help manage these cases, Avera created a full suite of behavioral health care services, including a comprehensive eCARE telehealth solution delivering services in 32 states.
In this AHA video for Mother’s Day, part of AHA’s #MyWhy social media campaign, a pregnant health care worker explains why she chose to get vaccinated. 
A total of 939,575 people selected a 2021 health plan through the federally facilitated marketplace between Feb. 15 and April 30 during the special enrollment period created in response to the COVID-19 emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported today. The total includes selections in the 36 states that use the federally facilitated marketplace.
Moderna Inc. told investors today that is intends to soon file for full Food and Drug Administration approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna, whose vaccine was authorized for emergency use in December for individuals age 18 and older, said its trial data shows that its vaccine is 96% effective in 12 to 17 year-olds who received at least one injection.  
The AHA today released a new episode of the on-demand video series, PowerPlay.
AHA yesterday urged the Department of Health and Human Services to extend the deadline for hospitals and other health care providers to use their COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund payments until the en
During the pandemic, there has been a dramatic increase in cyberattacks targeting hospitals and health systems, including disruptive ransomware attacks that have interrupted patient care and risked patient safety.
As part of Maternal Mental Health Week and Maternal Mental Health Day, AHA speaks with St. Peter’s Health and Montana Coalition officials about Taking Care of You, a rural Montana-based parental support approach to treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
The AHA and its American Organization for Nursing Leadership affiliate have developed numerous resources, including a customizable video and digital toolkit, to assist hospitals and health systems in celebrating National Nurses Week, May 6-12, and National Hospital Week, May 9-15.
The AHA donated to UNICEF to help hospitals and communities fight a devastating surge in COVID-19 cases in India. UNICEF is rushing urgently needed supplies and equipment to health facilities in India.  
While certain health care supply chain pressures remain, there are notable improvements, particularly in the area of collaboration, writes Mike Schiller, senior director of supply chain for the AHA’s Association for Health Care Resource and Materials Management.
The American Medical Association announced Current Procedural Terminology codes for reporting the two-dose Novavax COVID-19 vaccine and its administration on medical claims if the Food and Drug Administration approves the candidate vaccine or authorizes it for emergency use.