Editor's Note This study from Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Georgetown University, Washington, DC, finds that hospital compliance with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2021 Price Transparency Rule is increasing since financial penalties were enforced. Data from 4,377 acute care hospitals operating in 2021 and 2022 were…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on June 27, announced that it is starting a new voluntary Health care Equity Certification Program, effective July 1. The advanced certification recognizes hospitals for excellence in their efforts to provide equitable care, treatment, and services and builds on longstanding accreditation requirements that support healthcare…

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Editor's Note The Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), on June 26, announced the creation of the APIC Health Equity Fund, which will help underwrite the cost of infection prevention and control (IPC) tools and resources for underserved communities in the US. For the first 3 years, the fund…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on June 26, identified the recall by Teleflex, and their subsidiary Arrow International, of the Arrow Endurance Extended Dwell Peripheral Catheter System as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of catheter separation and leakage. If…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on June 21, announced that there is still time to comment on its proposed new Infection Control (IC) chapter requirements for hospitals and critical access hospitals. The goal of revising the chapter is to align the IC standards and elements of performance more closely with…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on June 21 that it is seeking comments on its proposed new Emergency Management (EM) requirements for accredited ambulatory health care and office-based surgery programs. The new requirements, which will be released in July 2024, will help organizations develop and improve their actions and…

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Editor's Note Because of recent studies, the evolving nature of COVID-19, and widespread vaccination, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) on June 20 released a joint statement providing updated recommendations for the timing of elective surgery and anesthesia after COVID-19 infection. The recommendations include:…

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With healthcare costs continuing to rise, hospitals, payers, and patients are looking for different venues for care and ways to cut costs while maintaining quality and safety. As more surgical procedures are safely performed in outpatient settings, more ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are being built or restructured. Partnerships between hospitals…

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Editor's Note This study, led by Boston University and VA Boston Healthcare System, finds a large variation in mortality across Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 11.4 million VHA enrollees during 2016 and 2020 were included in the analysis. Among the findings: VHA-enrolled veterans…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary (OACT) estimates that US healthcare spending will grow by 5.4% per year on average from 2022 to 2031, now that the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended. Rising from $4.4 to $7.17 trillion,…

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