Hospital occupancy, ED boarding during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study from Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, finds that hospital occupancy greater than 85% was linked to increased emergency department (ED) boarding beyond the 4-hour standard, during the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020 through December 2021), and ED boarding increased even when hospital occupancy did…
FDA: Class I recall of LivaNova’s LifeSPARC System
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 30 identified the recall by LivaNova (TandemLife) of its LifeSPARC System, Model LS-1000, as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of unintentional extended pump stop during Controller Critical Failure mode, caused by a…
House passes mental health parity bill to boost worker protection, impose fines
Editor's Note On Thursday, September 29, the House of Representatives voted 220-205 to pass legislation to impose new fines on insures that do not follow federal mental health pay parity requirements, in order to "hold employer-based health plans more accountable for improper denials of mental health and substance use benefits,"…
Many hospitals are at risk of flooding from hurricanes, study finds
Editor's Note Hundreds of hospitals are at risk of flooding from Hurricane Ian according to a Harvard study, Becker's Hospital Review September 29 reports. As the Category 2 hurricane makes its way through Florida, at least 50 percent of hospitals in 25 metropolitan areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts…
Traumatic stress, resilience of nurses during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study led by nurse researchers at Pennsylvania’s Reading Hospital and Villanova University, examined the traumatic stress and resilience of nurses who cared for patients with COVID-19. A total of 22 nurses (12 from critical care [CC] and 10 from medical-surgical [MS] units) completed three surveys. Four themes…
The Joint Commission seeking comments on healthcare equity advanced certification program
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 28 announced it is seeking input from the field on requirements for a new advanced certification program focused on improving healthcare equity. The voluntary program will recognize hospitals that strive for excellence in providing equitable care, treatment, and services across multiple domains, including…
Comparison of US hospital charity care before, after COVID-19
Editor's Note This study from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, finds that between December 2019 and December 2021, nearly one-third of large, tax exempt hospitals improved their charity care policies. Across the 2-year period, 127 of 151 (84.15) hospitals updated their policies, and 77 (51.0%)…
ACS lauds passage of STOP THE BLEED bill in California
Editor's Note The American College Surgeons (ACS) on September 28 announced that the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2260 that requires the installation of trauma bleeding control kits in newly constructed public and private buildings throughout the state. After the legislation was passed, the ACS State Affairs team worked…
Benefits seen in phase 3 of Alzheimer's drug trial
Editor's Note Eisai, the Japanese drug maker, said on Tuesday September 27, that its experimental drug for Alzheimer’s disease helped slow cognitive decline to those experiencing early stages of the illness. In the phase 3 clinical trials, the drug, called lecanemab, slowed cognitive decline by 27% after 18 months, the…
Binge drinking by young Black, White women increases COVID-19 risk
Editor's Note This study led by researchers at Rutgers University finds that Black and White women in their mid 20s who reported frequent binge drinking during the pandemic were more likely to become infected with COVID-19. The researchers examined seven subgroups of 938 young Black and White women ranging from…