On Aug. 25, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule (IFR) as an emergency regulation under the public health emergency (PHE). Under the IFR, CMS will require all hospitals to which the requirements of 42 CFR part 482 apply…
From medical respirators to plastic takeout containers, medical professionals and city leaders are working to mitigate the waste created by COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County. At the Cottage hospitals, 3,400 N95 respirators have been sterilized onsite and are being stored for reuse if needed in…
As healthcare organizations do battle against COVID-19, they also must stay on vigilant defense against cybercriminals intent on taking advantage of the crisis to sow chaos and disrupt clinical processes: barraging inboxes with pandemic-themed phishing emails, perpetrating hospital-crippling ransomware attacks, taking aim at public health…
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) violations are quite common and are happening every day – inadvertently or due to lack of proper HIPAA compliance. But why is HIPAA compliance so necessary for the US healthcare system? What does it protect? What are the…
A number of social media posts attribute a fabricated quote about the dangers of wearing face-coverings to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA does recommend the use of face-coverings per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. The extract of…
RALEIGH, N.C. – Privacy experts say when health officials claim they’re not allowed to release certain information about the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re usually right. Medical privacy laws are in the spotlight as COVID-19 continues to ravage the country. In some cases, people have taken to…
Thousands have complained to OSHA about unsafe working conditions due to Covid-19. OSHA has not inspected a single workplace. NPR’s Scott Simon speaks with Deborah Berkowitz, a former agency official. Transcript: The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, known as OSHA, is to…
The COVID-19 pandemic represents a truly unprecedented and challenging time for millions of us across the country. Yet I’m so inspired by the leadership, dedication, and—perhaps most important—resilience of our nursing colleagues on the frontlines treating and caring for patients day after day. …
The right to privacy has always been heavily debated, especially because the Constitution does not provide any definitive right of privacy. But the battle regarding privacy in healthcare seemed to have been resolved with the passing of the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)…
Recycling isn’t just for the environment anymore. It’s becoming an economic imperative, and you could even consider it your patriotic duty. So says the top environmental officer of the United States. who urged Americans to help fight a worldwide pandemic by recycling the packing materials…