News Briefs
Licensure Compact Aims to Allow PAs to Practice in Other States
By 2028, the nation as a whole will be short some 100,000 critical health care workers, according to a new report. The looming shortage is one reason why 13 states have joined the PA Licensure Compact, a multistate agreement that allows physician assistants to practice in any participating state, without having to get an additional license. There are similar compacts for doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and social workers.
(Source: Stateline, 2024-09-06)
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Hospitals Required to Report on 25 Best Patient Safety Practices
Most U.S. hospitals will soon be required to report whether they follow 25 best practices to ensure patient safety, to deflate preventable harms that swelled during the pandemic. Unlike outcomes metrics like infections or falls, CMS's new Patient Safety Structural Measure, which takes effect Oct. 1, assesses whether hospitals take a range of steps such as addressing safety topics at governing board meetings, tracking safety disparities, and maintaining a communication and resolution program.
(Source: Association of Health Care Journalists, 2024-09-04)
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Healthcare Sector Warned About Iran-Based Cyberthreat Actors
Iran-based cyberthreat actors have been exploiting U.S. and foreign organizations across various sectors, including healthcare, a joint cybersecurity advisory issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI, and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center warned. The advisory focused on known cyberthreat actors, such as Pioneer Kitten, UNC757, Parisite, Rubidium, and Lemon Sandstorm.
(Source: Tech Target, 2024-09-04)
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Less than 25% of Rural Hospitals Use Free Cybersecurity Resource
Around 350 of some 1,800 small and rural U.S. hospitals are leveraging free and low-cost private sector cybersecurity resources that were marshaled by the White House this summer, a top White House cyber official said. Deputy National Cyber Director for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger provided the update at the 2024 Billington Cyber Summit and said she hoped more would join with time.
(Source: NextGov, 2024-09-03)
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Pediatricians Cut Back on COVID Vaccines Citing Lack of Demand
Pediatricians across the country are pre-ordering the updated and reformulated COVID-19 vaccine for the fall and winter respiratory virus season, but some doctors said they're struggling to predict whether parents will be interested. Providers don't want to waste money ordering doses that won’t be used, but they need enough on hand to vaccinate vulnerable children.
(Source: KFF Health News, 2024-09-04)
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Report Finds Wide Variety in Physicians Who Use Telehealth
Female physicians and doctors who work in nonrural practices deliver more care via telehealth, according to a study in Health Affairs, and the research also found differences in virtual care utilization by specialty. The findings offer insight into long-term patterns of telehealth utilization in the U.S. and help show how virtual care might be affecting care access and outcomes, the study authors wrote.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2024-09-05)
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Hospices See Reimbursement, Regulations as Most Challenging
Disruptive reimbursement and regulatory challenges are top of mind for today's hospice c-suite executives, who recently sat down with Hospice News to discuss what they see as the largest hurdles to sustainable end-of-life care delivery. Reimbursement pressures and changes are among the most significant concerns for today's hospices, according to Kristen Yntema, president and CEO of AuthoraCare Collective.
(Source: Hospice News, 2024-09-03)
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Report Finds Hospital Operating Margins Improving
After a rocky few years post-COVID, hospital operating margins are trending in a positive -- and profitable -- direction. In its annual National Hospital Flash Report, Kaufman Hall published a calendar year to date operating margin index, illustrating a steep increase from 2.7 percent in December 2023 to 4.9 percent in January 2024, and after a slight decrease in February 2024 to 4.4 percent, margins have consistently remained just above four percent.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2024-09-03)
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Shortage of Over 100,000 Critical Healthcare Workers Expected
An aging population with heightened care needs and lagging labor trends will create a shortage of over 100,000 critical healthcare workers around the close of the decade, according to a recent study from consultancy Mercer. Certain states and specialties will weather most of the burden, according to the report.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2024-09-03)
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Hospitals Emphasizing Patients' Financial Experience
Patients are becoming responsible for more of their healthcare costs. And that's driving hospitals and health systems to put more emphasis on the financial experience.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2024-09-03)
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