Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced June 17 that it has resumed limited survey activities this month, and that scoring of items that are not compliant will not be the primary focus during the COVID-19 public health emergency. However, the Joint Commission says, there are several elements of performance (EPs)…

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Editor's Note A regional, coalition-guided, multifaceted approach that engaged healthcare systems, long-term care facilities, state and local governments, and organizations to rapidly respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, kept Washington State’s death rate the lowest of all states with major outbreaks, this study finds. Six key factors helped “flatten the curve:”…

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Resuming elective surgical procedures is critical for recovering revenue lost during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and treating patients whose health may have been compromised while awaiting surgery. Timetables and protocols for resuming those procedures tend to differ by facility, but OR leaders nationwide feel that “we’re all…

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Proactive leadership, early preparation, and ongoing planning and communication have helped mitigate COVID-19 threats at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida. As a result, resuming elective surgical cases in early May was a relatively seamless process thanks to process improvements made before the pandemic hit. “We started working on COVID-19…

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Far fewer cases of COVID-19 have been seen in rural areas of the US than in large urban populations. But even healthcare facilities not inundated with COVID-19 patients have sustained revenue losses and disruptions in standard procedures. One major advantage for Heartland Surgery Center in Kearney, Nebraska, was seeing the…

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Editor's Note Reusable elastomeric masks provide a more durable, less costly, longer term option than N95 masks for healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study finds. Within 1 month of implementing the elastomeric mask program at the Allegheny Health Network’s nine-hospital system in Pennsylvania and Western New York, the…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 13 released updated recommendations for COVID-19 testing, including interim testing guidelines for nursing home residents and healthcare personnel. Recommendations also include testing strategies for high-density critical infrastructure workplaces after a COVID-19 case is identified. The consolidated recommendations for…

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Editor's Note This study finds that between March 11 and April 21, nearly 42% fewer patients were admitted to Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, compared with the preceding 6 weeks, including those who had conditions that generally required emergency treatment. The number of patients admitted decreased from 77,624 to 45,155, including…

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Editor's Note This study of spine surgeons around the world found they are experiencing the effects of COVID-19, including canceled procedures, changes in clinical roles, anxiety, and risk of exposure to the disease itself because of insufficient protective equipment. Researchers evaluated survey responses from 902 spine surgeons with membership in…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons on June 3 released new resources to help surgeons and hospitals address patients’ concerns about having surgical procedures that were delayed by COVID-19. The document, “Preparing to have surgery during the time of COVID-19,” includes a patient-surgeon discussion guide with suggested questions patients…

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