OIG: Medicare Lacks Cybersecurity Oversight for Hospital-Based Networked Medical Devices
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report last week finding that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) survey protocol does not include requirements for networked device cybersecurity.
Coronavirus Pandemic Discouraging Academic Medical Center Faculty, Study Finds
The recent research article, which was published by JAMA Network Open, features survey data collected from more than 1,000 medical, graduate, and health professional school faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. The survey was conducted in September 2020.
Health Care Risk Management Week Resources From PSQH
As Health Care Risk Management Week wraps up, we want to call attention to the important work done by professionals as they identify potential risks and respond to adverse outcomes.
Locum Tenens Delivered Care During Pandemic
Nearly three-fourths (71%) of locum tenens physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), have treated COVID-19 patients, suggesting that locum tenens providers have played an important role in providing care during the pandemic, according to the survey, conducted by Staff Care, a national physician staffing firm and a subsidiary of AMN Healthcare.
The Chief Medical Officer’s Role in Addressing Health Equity
Hijinio Carreon, DO, was recently named to the newly created position of chief medical executive at the MercyOne health system. An emergency medicine physician, Carreon previously served as chief medical officer of MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center.
Healthcare Facilities: LED Fixture Continuously Disinfects All Airborne Viruses
UVC is known to disinfect air, water, and nonporous surfaces and has been used for decades to reduce the spread of tuberculosis, influenza, and Legionnaires’ disease. According to the CDC, UVC is the only recognized technology for effective germicidal treatment against airborne pathogens.
Surging International Infections Underscore Need for At-Home COVID-19 Multiplex Testing Options
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) recently published World Health Statistics 2021 report offers a snapshot of today as well as a glimpse of the future. At the time of the report’s release, global COVID-19 cases stood at 160 million and deaths at 3.3 million, with newly confirmed cases at an all-time high globally.
Wrong Patient Identification Has Severe Consequences for Hospitals and Patients
Wrong patient identification, for a number of reasons, still exists to this day. It affects the U.S. healthcare system the most as hospitals have no effective standardized patient identifier shared by all facilities. While different caregivers have used various strategies to implement an effective patient identifier, it’s been around two decades since the ban on funding a national patient identifier system has been in place.
Check Your State’s Pandemic Plan to Make Sure 1135 Waivers Line Up Locally
Following the PHE’s initial declaration in March 2020 and several extensions, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra reauthorized the PHE declaration on April 21. By law, that means the declaration is good for another 90 days—in this case through July 20—unless otherwise stated by the secretary.
Current State of Healthcare Compliance Programs: 2021 Benchmark Survey Results
By SAI Global This report provides results from our 12th annual Healthcare Compliance Benchmark Survey, conducted by SAI Global in collaboration with Strategic Management Services, LLC. Richard P. Kusserow, former DHHS Inspector General, provided the analysis of the results. The survey’s objective was to understand the status and progress of compliance program development in the U.S. healthcare industry. The … Continued