Editor's Note Dozens of nursing homes and hospitals ignored official guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to separate COVID-19 patients from those without the virus, the September 10 Kaiser Health News reports. A Kaiser Health News investigation found that nursing homes and hospitals ignored (CDC) guidelines…

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Editor's Note In this international meta-analysis, researchers found that the administration of systemic corticosteroids was associated with lower 28-day all-cause mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The meta-analysis included seven randomized studies from 12 countries that involved 1,703 critically ill COVID-19 patients. Patients had been randomized to receive systemic dexamethasone,…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced September 9 that it has refreshed the Accelerate PI Dashboard Report data for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers. The reports reflect the most recent and available external data from CMS’ Hospital Compare and Nursing Home Compare websites as well as…

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Editor's Note This Italian study finds that patients treated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had a 30% lower in-hospital mortality rate compared to those not receiving this treatment. Researchers examined outcomes of 3,451 patients in 33 COVID-19-focused hospitals throughout Italy. Of these, 2,634 patients received HCQ. Timing of the first dose after…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 26 announced that nominations are now being accepted for the 2020 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The annual awards recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. Submissions for the awards are encouraged for…

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Leaders at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System in Richmond started the journey to become an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) hospital in 2016 with the following problem statement: Across surgical specialties, and regardless of superior surgical technique, perioperative care, and anesthesia care, patients can experience extended length of hospital…

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Editor's Note In an August 17 news release, the ECRI Institute and its affiliate, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), announced that they had launched a new Patient Safety Organization (PSO). The PSO is an important step in making medication, medical devices, and healthcare practices safer for patients across…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 5 announced that it has approved new and revised requirements for hospitals and critical access hospitals certified under the Patient Blood Management program that will go into effect January 1, 2021. The certification requirements have been updated to align with the third edition…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 4 released the 2021 proposed payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). Among the proposals in the rule: CMS proposes to expand the number of procedures that Medicare would pay for when performed…

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Editor's Note US News & World Report on July 28 released its 2019-2020 Best Hospitals Honor Roll. The top five are: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Cleveland Clinic Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and Cornell, New York City, and UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles (tie) Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston…

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