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%)…

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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…

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Editor's Note In a recent American College of Emergency Physicians survey, some 85% of emergency physicians say they believe violence in US emergency departments (EDs) has risen over the past 5 years, and 45% say it has “greatly increased,” the September 22 EmergencyPhysicians.org reports Two-thirds of the 3,000 physicians surveyed…

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Editor's Note The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased its mask recommendations for nursing homes and hospitals not experiencing high levels of COVID-19 transmission, US News & World Report September 26 reports. The CDC made these changes to the updated guidelines published on Friday, September 23. Unlike…

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Editor's Note This study led by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, finds a 23.5% decrease in substance use disorder treatment admissions across the US during COVID-19. In 2020, the number of substance use disorders admissions decreased from 65.9 to 50.4 per 10,000. The decrease was larger for men (87.5…

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Editor's Note This Canadian study finds that most COVID-19 patients recover within 12 months, irrespective of severity. Researchers surveyed 106 patients recovering from COVID-19 at 3-, 6-, and 12 months. A total of 75% had recovered at the 12-month mark, but 25% still had at least one of three common…

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Editor's Note Houston Methodist, the first US health system to mandate vaccination of its employees in March 2021, is not requiring employees to receive new COVID-19 vaccines targeting Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, the September 21 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Though the system is strongly recommending that employees get the…

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Editor's Note Within the past week there has been conversation about a potential end to the COVID-19 pandemic as deaths are at their lowest level worldwide since the initial outbreak, OR Manager September 15 reported. Following comments from the World Health Organization, President Joe Biden said the pandemic was “over”…

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Editor's Note This 3-year survey study led by researchers at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, finds that emotional exhaustion trajectories varied by role but increased overall among most healthcare workers (HCWs) since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 107, 122 HCWs surveyed, respondents reported increased emotional…

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Editor's Note New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more adults in the US are seeking treatment for mental health issues. Among the findings: The percentage of adults of all ages receiving mental health treatment increased from 19.2% in 2019 to 21.6% in 2021,…

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