News

AHA voiced support for legislation that would provide an additional $2 billion for hospitals and other health care providers to expand broadband and telehealth services during the COVID-19 crisis through the Federal Communication Commission Rural Health Care Program.

The Census Bureau recently reported that “a third of Americans now show signs of clinical anxiety or depression” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also been reported that Americans are increasingly at risk for “deaths of despair” from substance misuse and suicide, forecasting that the mental health crisis could approach levels of loss similar to COVID-19.

On this Advancing Health podcast, Robyn Begley, AHA senior vice president and chief nursing officer, along with Parkview Health leaders Charles Clark, president of behavioral health, and Paula Bostwick, vice president of behavioral health hospital services, discuss how the health system’s efforts to engage its clinical staff and increase training contributed to a decrease in reported workplace violence and improved safety for patients.

The AHA responded to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services request for information by offering solutions for improving maternal and child health in rural communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges for health care providers, including the way teams communicate and work together.

FDA issued a reminder to health care facilities’ reprocessing staffs to follow the agency-outlined decontamination cycle when using the ASP STERRAD Sterilization System to decontaminate N95 or N95-equivalent respirators for reuse via vaporized hydrogen peroxide.

The FDA authorized the emergency use of certain personal protective equipment to help address insufficient supply due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House Education and Labor Committee’s Workforce Protections Subcommittee held a hearing examining federal actions to protect workers from COVID-19, which featured witnesses from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The Federal Reserve has announced that it is establishing a Main Street Lending Program to support lending to small and medium-sized businesses that were in sound financial condition before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Small Business Administration released an interim final rule to clarify Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness requirements, and the agency’s process for reviewing PPP loan applications and loan forgiveness applications.

In a near unanimous vote, the House of Representatives today passed the Paycheck Flexibility Act (H.R. 7010) to allow more leeway for small business loans during the COVID-19 crisis.

AHA's Health Research & Educational Trust has announced that Patrick Romano, M.D., co-editor-in-chief of Health Services Research Journal, will leave his position in June.

Community Health Improvement Week (June 1-5) celebrates people coming together to create healthier communities. And that's never been more important than now.

Thirty-four emerging hospital and health system leaders from 20 states will participate in the inaugural class of the AHA’s Next Generation Leaders Fellowship, working one-on-one with a mentor on a yearlong project to drive transformation and innovation to address a specific challenge at their organization.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a fact sheet for state and local governments seeking Medicare, Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program payment for inpatient and outpatient care provided at hospital alternative care sites during the COVID-19 emergency.

Over 1,750 Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage have applied to offer lower insulin costs through the Part D Senior Savings Model for the 2021 plan year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said.

Stepping back from pandemic coverage can reduce health care worker burnout, writes Jeremy Sadlier, director of HR Initiatives at the American Society for Health Care Human Resources Administration.

The Committee on Ways and Means convened a hearing examining the disproportionate effect COVID-19 is having on minority communities.

Quest Diagnostics announced new workplace services to aid return-to-work efforts, including access to specimen collection options for COVID-19 testing and on-site temperature checks.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is sending more than 438,000 non-contact infrared thermometers from the Strategic National Stockpile to state, territorial and tribal governments to distribute to local authorities and businesses based on their priorities as the nation’s workplaces and economy reopen, the agency announced.