Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research and the Brooke Army Medical Center JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas, finds that a Texas state-level mask mandate issued July 3, 2020, followed by a Bexar County-level mandate issued July 15, 2020, did not reduce…

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Editor's Note Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare is postponing all nonemergency surgical procedures in its 13 hospitals, effective September 15, the September 10 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. The action is being taken because of a COVID-19 surge fueled by the Delta variant. In a news release, the health system said…

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Editor's Note This study led by nurse researcher Linda H. Aiken, PhD, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, finds that having more nurse practitioners (NPs) in hospitals has favorable effects on patients, staff, and efficiency—adding value to labor resources. Data on 579 hospitals gleaned from nurse, patient,…

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Editor's Note In this study by researchers at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, surgical patients find virtual follow-up care more convenient than traditional in-person appointments without loss of quality or efficiency, which are important components of patient satisfaction. The analysis included 289 patients having laparoscopic appendectomy or…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at State University of New York, Binghamton, finds that social-distancing measures implemented by states in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in smaller death rates, but led to larger second waves. Conversely, social-distancing measures implemented by states later in the pandemic…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 8 announced that it has returned to the original volume eligibility requirement for its advanced Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC) and Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) certification programs, effective September 1. Volume eligibility requirements were lowered in 2020 and into 2021 because of the COVID-19…

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Editor's Note The American Nurses Association (ANA) on September 1 wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging the agency to declare the ongoing shortage of nurses in the US a national crisis, citing the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant as a factor. In…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at the University of Chicago finds that the rate of domestic violence reporting in Chicago decreased after the March 2020 COVID-19 stay-at-home order was issued, and the decreased rate of reporting was substantially greater in majority Black vs majority White communities. Of 77 communities…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 1 announced that it is seeking comments on new and revised emergency management (EM) requirements for its hospital and critical access hospital accreditation programs. The aim of the proposed standards is to help healthcare organizations develop and improve their actions and responses to…

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Editor's Note This study finds that fully vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs) at University of California San Diego Health experienced a rapid increase in COVID-19 infections from June to July 2021. Vaccinations began in mid-December, and by March 2021, 76% of HCWs were fully vaccinated. This rose to 83% by July.…

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