CMS Reminds Providers About EMTALA Obligations With COVID-19 Patients
The memo points hospitals and other providers to several online resources, as well as answering several frequently asked questions regarding COVID-19 patients and suspected patients. Specifically, it “strongly” urges providers and surveyors to monitor the CDC Health Alert Network website for COVID-19 related issues.
COVID-19: EPA Releases List of Registered Disinfectants
Products on the list have qualified for use against COVID-19 through the Agency’s Emerging Viral Pathogen program. This program allows product manufacturers to provide the EPA with data, even in advance of an outbreak, that show their products are effective against harder-to-kill viruses than SARS-CoV-2.
Telemedicine Playing Front Line Role in COVID-19 Outbreak
The virtual visit is conducted by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. Most of the clinicians work at the health system’s telehealth platform, Spectrum Health Now, but they are being supplemented with clinicians from urgent care centers and primary care clinics who have spare time.
AHIP, ACHE, AONL Cancel Conferences Amid Coronavirus Concerns
The actions follow those of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, which last week issued a last-minute cancellation of this week’s annual conference in Orlando, at which 45,000 people from across the globe were expected to attend.
HHS Releases Final Interoperability Rules
The two rules, issued by the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), were announced last year, and the final rules were issued Monday.
IHI Celebrates Patient Safety Awareness Week
Running from March 8-14, the IHI’s Patient Safety Awareness Week is planned as a way to encourage greater knowledge about healthcare safety.
Anesthesia Procedures Led by Physicians Provide Highest Patient Protection
There are roles for more practitioners in anesthesia procedures, including serving on a team with a shared vision for a strong, patient-focused model of care. But that care must be led by a physician anesthesiologist.
Converting Routine Into Optimized Healthcare Procedures
The first order of change is to shift the performance standard in the right direction: toward each patient’s best interests. And to do that—to learn what best serves a particular patient—the person performing a mundane procedure must literally shift brain regions.
Experts: COVID-19 is ‘Approaching Pandemic’
According to the dashboard developed by Johns Hopkins University to track the progress of COVID-19, there were 111,363 total confirmed cases worldwide as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern on Monday. Of that total, 566 were in the U.S. There are 3,892 total deaths (3,008 in Hubei Mainland China) and 22 in the U.S., 17 of those in King County, Washington state.
HIMSS 20 Canceled Amid Coronavirus Concerns
In recent days, several major companies including Cisco, Amazon, and Microsoft, decided to withdraw from the conference, which typically draws around 45,000 attendees, due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.