Editor's Note American Hospital Association statistics show that 1,850 US hospitals, or nearly 30%, have now announced COVID-19 vaccination mandates for their healthcare workers (HCWs), the August 17 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Several states, including California, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Main, also are requiring HCWs to get vaccinated.…

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Editor's Note AORN announced on August 15 that it will launch a new “Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Prevention of RSI.” Facilities will be recognized as Centers of Excellence for implementing a surgical team-based program to prevent retained surgical items (RSI). The complimentary program, sponsored by the AORN Foundation…

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Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) on August 4 updated their guidance for perioperative testing for COVID-19 to say that all patients having anesthetics or surgical procedures with the potential to generate aerosols should have preoperative testing for COVID-19, regardless of their…

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Editor's Note This new study by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health which drew on surveys of more than 149,000 people in 144 countries finds that trust in governments and healthcare workers is correlated with trust in health or medical advice from them and with more positive attitudes toward…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum on August 11 announced that the application period for the 20th John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards is open now through September 30. The annual awards program recognizes major achievements to improve patient safety and healthcare quality in three…

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Editor's Note In an August 5 statement, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) says healthcare workers (HCWs) must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have at least received their second dose by September 30, Fox 5 San Diego reports. This new order is different from last month’s order that…

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Editor's Note This study from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, finds that Medicaid expansion was associated with a reduction in uninsured surgical hospitalizations. Researchers analyzed state-level data across 44 states and patient-level data across four states, and they compared hospitalizations in expansion and non-expansion states. Uninsured surgery patients…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 2 issued its final Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule for FY 2022. The final rule: increases Medicare payment rates by a net 2.5%, compared to FY 2021, for hospitals that are meaningful users of electronic health records…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on August 4 that revisions to three Health Care Staffing Services (HCCS) certification standards will go into effect January 1, 2022. The changes include: Human Resources Management (HSHR) Standard HSHR.3 will now clarify that this is the organization’s new employee orientation for clinical staff…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health finds that people vaccinated against COVID-19 can carry as much coronavirus as those who are unvaccinated. After multiple large public events in a Barnstable County, Massachusetts town, 469…

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