News

As recommended by its advisory committee on preventing lead exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reduced the blood lead reference value for children from 5 micrograms per deciliter to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to reflect declining blood lead levels in U.S. children aged 1-5.

AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack Sunday submitted the following letter to the editor of the New York Times responding to an article published online on a recent study in JAMA Health Forum on the Provider Relief Fund. 

The number of uninsured U.S. residents did not change substantially during the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released by the Department of Health and Human Services. 

The Food and Drug Administration announced a Class 1 recall of battery packs for an intra-aortic balloon pump used with patients undergoing surgery and to treat adults with acute coronary syndrome or heart failure complications.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for pediatric use, moving the issue of administration to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for consideration.

The American Medical Association published a Current Procedural Terminology code for providers administering a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

In a study of over 7,000 adults hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms, unvaccinated patients with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection were five times more likely to have laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 than were patients fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and no previous infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

President Biden yesterday released a revised framework for a $1.75 trillion social spending bill, which includes numerous health care provisions.

Affordable health care ranks among the top concerns for many Americans. It’s a concern that hospitals and health systems fully share … and we have been working hard to address.

The Department of Health and Human Services proposed to withdraw a rule finalized in January that requires the agency to periodically assess each regulation to determine whether it has a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, and if so review the regulation to determine whether to retain, modify or eliminate it.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas released a new immigration enforcement policy for “protected areas,” including hospitals and other medical or mental health care facilities.

The FBI recently raided the Florida offices of Pax Technology, a Chinese-owned company that makes point-of-sale payment terminals, because the devices may have been involved in cyberattacks on U.S. and European organizations, according to news reports.

The AHA sent a letter of support for the Preventing and Addressing Trauma with Health Services (PATHS) Act (S. 2873), a Senate bill that would provide grants for high-quality, culturally competent trauma support and mental health services for individuals in communities affected by gun violence. The bill would also support Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs intended to foster safer communities. 

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the False Claims Amendments Act (S. 2428), legislation that would make it harder to dismiss meritless lawsuits, among other problematic changes to the False Claims Act. 

The AHA released the latest edition of the COVID-19 Snapshot, underscoring the persisting challenges facing hospitals and health systems during the ongoing public health emergency

As a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee prepares to consider expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to children aged 5-11, the AHA, American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association will webcast a panel discussion Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. ET on how pediatricians and hospitals can work with parents to build trust in the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine for children.

A documentary premiering in Washington, D.C., and opening in theaters Nov. 19 features doctors, nurses and patients at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, N.Y., as they navigate the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, Axios AM reports.

The Next Generation Accountable Care Organization model reduced gross Medicare spending in performance years 2016 to 2019 by $667 million (1.2%), according to findings released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics awarded $26 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to research and develop advanced infectious disease models and analytical tools.

The Department of Health and Human Services released an overdose prevention strategy focused on prevention, harm reduction, evidence-based treatment, and recovery support.