Legal Considerations for Healthcare Workers Crossing State Lines to Help During Pandemic
Last month, the Trump administration declared a state of emergency and changed federal rules to allow licensed healthcare workers to practice medicine across state lines. The move is designed to address shortages of healthcare workers as COVID-19 patients surge and hospital staff are sidelined by coronavirus infection.
Track COVID-19 Rates to Signal When to Resume Non-Emergent Care
CMS published guidelines Sunday for hospitals who want to expand their operations again, but as with the White House and CDC criteria on “Opening Up America Again” issued April 16, moving toward normal depends on the number of COVID-19 cases in a region and whether those numbers are going down.
Coronavirus: 10 Considerations for Resuming Elective Surgery
To boost resources for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients, governors across the country have ordered hospitals to delay elective surgery procedures. Last month, ACS released guidance for determining which elective surgeries could be delayed appropriately.
FDA: 4 million N95 Masks Could Be Reused Thanks to Emergency Order
The process has N95 masks placed in a room, sprayed with vaporized hydrogen peroxide using a special machine, and left to dry. A mask can be reprocessed up to 10 times for single-user reuse.
How to Establish Coronavirus Employee Wellness Support Teams at Hospitals
With coronavirus patients surging beyond New York, the COVID-19 pandemic is straining healthcare organization workforces from coast to coast. The United States has more reported COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other country, at more than 644,000 cases and more than 28,000 deaths as of April 16.
Doctors Should Not Have to Decide Who Lives or Dies
In these times, there is no avoiding unpleasant decisions. But we can choose who makes those decisions. There is a world of difference between the ethical rules that govern the care of patients and the ethical rules that govern public health. Clinical ethics prioritize each individual and leave little room for utilitarian calculations. By contrast, in public health ethics, the value of individual lives is overshadowed by the needs of society.
Study: Contaminated Reusable Bronchoscopes Could Cause Secondary Infections in COVID-19 Patients
Using sterile, disposable bronchoscopes would “substantially reduce the risks” to patients and healthcare staff, the researchers wrote. But single-use bronchoscopes are not widely available and may not be effective for some bronchoscopy uses, they added.
Use These Checklists to Stay Ahead of Promised COVID-19 Focus During Surveys
In a Quality, Safety & Oversight Group memo to state and regional CMS offices, the agency ordered its surveyors to suspend “non-emergency inspections across the country” to allow “inspectors to turn their focus on the most serious health and safety threats like infectious diseases and abuse. This shift in approach will also allow inspectors to focus on addressing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).”
How One Arizona Health System Is Preparing Emergency Department, Critical Care for Surge
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting states with varying intensity, with patient surges expected to roll out across the country in different time frames. For example, as of April 15, New York had nearly 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases compared to more than 3,800 cases in Arizona, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Just Over 25% of CFOs Anticipate Layoffs Because of Pandemic
More than 80% of surveyed CFOs expect company revenues and profits to decline this year as a result of the outbreak. Additionally, 75% of CFOs now view the COVID-19 outbreak’s impact on operations and liquidity as the top concern for 2020.