News

The Senate voted 92-7 to pass and send to the president legislation (H.R. 1799) to extend the Paycheck Protection Program through June 30. The president is expected to sign the bill, which will allow applications through May 31. Without the extension, the program would expire March 31.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the immediate resumption of survey activities for all complaints.

As more vaccine supplies become available and more jurisdictions expand priority categories or do away with them altogether, hospitals and health systems continue to work overtime to serve as access points.

Learn how hospital and health system leaders such as Neil Gomes, system senior vice president of digital and human experiences at CommonSpirit Health, are synthesizing and applying consumer experience data insights for improved patient loyalty and outcomes. 

The House Education and Labor Committee voted 27-20 to approve, as amended, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195). 

The AHA voiced support for the Rural America Health Corps Act (S.924), legislation that would establish a Rural America Health Corps modeled on the National Health Service Corps to encourage health care professionals to serve in rural areas. 

Throughout the pandemic, innovative partnerships have helped hospitals and health systems ensure ongoing care for patients, health care workers and their communities. 

Though most hospitals and health systems are collecting patient demographic data, by using layers of additional data sets, investigating patterns in health disparities, tailoring interventions and aligning priorities with identified community needs, organizations can advance health equity, writes Mital Patel, senior director of market intelligence, AHA Center for Health Innovation. 

AstraZeneca revised its data on its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, stating that its AZD1222 vaccine showed a 76% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. 

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on improving COVID-19 health equity and outcomes by addressing health disparities.

The Senate passed by 90-2 vote a bill that, among other health care provisions, would eliminate the 2% across-the-board cut to all Medicare payments, known as sequestration, until the end of 2021.

The White House announced a $10 billion investment in promoting public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, particularly among the hardest-hit and highest-risk communities. 

A new Market Insights report from the AHA Center for Health Innovation describes how to use data to build new capabilities that improve health outcomes for patients and communities.

The Senate voted 57-43 to confirm Vivek Murthy, M.D., to serve as United States surgeon general for a second time.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services extended until Aug. 15 the special enrollment period launched Feb. 15 at the federally facilitated marketplace in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

On this AHA Advancing Health podcast, Germaine Smith-Baugh, president and CEO of the Urban League of Broward County in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., talks about combating the COVID-19 pandemic through testing, vaccinations and education within the community, which include people hardest hit by the pandemic.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General reported findings from a random survey of hospital leaders last month on their most difficult current challenges responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, greatest concerns going forward and how the government could best help. 

Given the sustained increase in variants resistant to bamlanivimab alone, and availability of alternative authorized monoclonal antibodies, the U.S. government, in coordination with Eli Lilly, will stop the distribution of bamlanivimab alone starting today, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response announced.

A new toolkit from AHA’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity focuses on leveraging patient data to advance health equity. The first in a new series of health equity resources, the toolkit was released last week in concert with the Accelerating Health Equity Conference.

The AHA voiced support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2021 (S. 834), legislation that would add 14,000 Medicare-funded residency positions to alleviate physician shortages that threaten patients’ access to care.