News

U.S. and international cybersecurity authorities this week released additional guidance to help health care and other critical infrastructure leaders defend their networks from Volt Typhoon, a People’s Republic of China state-sponsored group that has been pre-positioning itself on U.S. networks to disrupt critical services in the event of increased geopolitical tensions or conflict with the U.S. and its allies. 

The Food and Drug Administration’s proposal to regulate laboratory developed tests would undermine innovation and reduce access to effective and appropriate care for patients, AHA March 21 told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

The House and Senate Appropriations committees March 20 released the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, legislation that would fund all remaining federal agencies through Sept. 30.

U.S. health care organizations should immediately transition away from using certain unauthorized plastic syringes made in China by Jiangsu Caina Medical Co. and Jiangsu Shenli Medical Production Co., and should only use other plastic syringes made in China until they can transition to alternatives, the Food and Drug Administration announced.

Former AHA board member Roxie Wells, M.D., senior vice president, chief physician executive and strategy officer with Novant Health Coastal Region, discusses her long journey to the health care C-suite and the importance of mentoring young women leaders through the glass ceiling and beyond.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee March 20 unanimously passed AHA-supported legislation to reauthorize through 2029 the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 7153), which provides grants to help health care organizations offer behavioral health services for front-line health care workers.

AHA March 19 urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to modernize its high-cost outlier policy for the long-term care hospital prospective payment system to reflect a shrinking patie

Congress should address any statutory constraints that prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Department of Health and Human Services from adequately helping hospitals and other health care providers impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack, AHA said a letter submitted to the House Ways and Means Committee for a hearing March 20 with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

AHA again urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services March 20 to permanently allow telehealth providers to administer services from their homes without listing their home address on Medicare enrollment and claims forms, which would pose privacy and safety risks, add unnecessary operational and administrative burden, and could lead to confusion regarding practice location.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expects to launch a voluntary primary care model in January 2025 for low-revenue accountable care organizations that participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights March 18 released updated guidance for HIPAA-covered entities and business associates on using online tracking technologies.

The AHA’s Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) has named as its new executive director Mike Schiller, who has served as interim executive director since late 2023 and has 35 years of leadership in the health care supply chain and association field.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation March 18 released an evidence-informed guide to help hospital leaders implement a systems approach to accelerate professional well-being.

The Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care is now the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare: Protecting 24/7 Care, a rebrand intended to reflect its renewed focus to protect and strengthen patients’ access to 24/7 care.

AHA March 18 shared with the House Ways and Means Committee its proposals to strengthen access to timely emergency medical care, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

The AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence (HAV) initiative shares resources and strategies to promote a culture of safety across the field. To guide health care leaders in efforts to prevent and mitigate violence, the HAV initiative developed the Building a Safe Workplace and Community framework.

A specialist in geriatrics at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, Calif., shares how the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative and geriatric accreditation for its emergency department helped it improve care for older patients.

The National Resident Matching Program March 15 matched 38,941 medical school seniors and graduates to U.S. residency positions, 3.3% more than last year.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission March 15 released its March report to Congress, which includes its recent recommendations for hospital and other Medicare payment systems for fiscal year 2025.

Responding March 15 to a House Committee on Education and the Workforce request for comments on ways to strengthen the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, AHA called for greater oversight of ERISA-regulated insurers to prevent inappropriate care denials, payment delays and self-dealing by vertically integrated insurers.