February/March 2026 Issue of Becker’s Clinical Leadership & Infection Control
On Cover
‘No AMC is coming to save rural America’: Providence, U of Montana reimagine healthcare innovation
For years, Daniel Spoon, MD, has had a vision about building a better model to support innovation in rural healthcare — one that does not rely on ideas imported from large academic medical centers far removed from the daily realities of delivering care in remote areas.
The case for embedding emotional safety into patient safety work
Emotional safety should be assessed as a core component of patient safety, researchers at New York City-based NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing wrote in a Dec. 29 article published in Advances in Nursing Science.
The quality playbook: How systems are preparing for outpatient procedure expansion
Health systems are actively working to bolster quality and safety practices in outpatient settings as more care historically only performed in hospitals moves to ambulatory facilities.
Why (and how) Jefferson Health is expanding its nurse ‘SEAL team’
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health is working to expand an innovative nursing program into the system’s newly integrated Lehigh Valley Health Network region in Pennsylvania.
Joint Commission, NQF align safety event reporting
The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum are aligning their serious safety event reporting frameworks in an effort to reduce redundancy and ease the administrative burden on healthcare providers.
Public ED boarding dashboard launches in Connecticut
The Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians has launched a public dashboard featuring emergency department boarding data from hospitals across the state.
Hospital mortality, infection rates improve despite rising acuity: 3 findings
Even as patient acuity climbed over the last several years, hospitals posted notable gains in mortality and reductions in two major hospital-acquired infections, a new Vizient report found.
15 most common CMS citations in 2025
In 2025, CMS accreditation agencies, such as The Joint Commission and DNV Healthcare, conducted 4,523 surveys at U.S. hospitals.
Patient experience in the new year: Outlook for 2026
As we come to the end of another year, the changes and challenges of 2025 could yield opportunities for patient experience work in 2026.
NYU Langone shakes up its recipe for hospital meals
New York City-based NYU Langone Health has undergone a culinary overhaul with a clear goal: to prove hospital food can be both healthy and delicious.
‘Average’ ED performance linked to low care quality: Report
Many U.S. emergency departments operate “good enough,” and this level of performance is harming patients, margins and morale, according to a Jan. 29 report from Kaufman Hall.
Patient safety and outcomes
A primary care expansion built on more than hiring: Inova shares the time (and the playbook)
As primary care demand accelerates, Falls Church, Va.-based Inova Health System is betting on a future in which access does not come from more clinicians or exam rooms alone, but from rethinking the basics of how visits happen.
‘No AMC is coming to save rural America’: Providence, U of Montana reimagine healthcare innovation
For years, Daniel Spoon, MD, has had a vision about building a better model to support innovation in rural healthcare — one that does not rely on ideas imported from large academic medical centers far removed from the daily realities of delivering care in remote areas.
Joint Commission, NQF align safety event reporting
The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum are aligning their serious safety event reporting frameworks in an effort to reduce redundancy and ease the administrative burden on healthcare providers.
‘Average’ ED performance linked to low care quality: Report
Many U.S. emergency departments operate “good enough,” and this level of performance is harming patients, margins and morale, according to a Jan. 29 report from Kaufman Hall.
The case for embedding emotional safety into patient safety work
Emotional safety should be assessed as a core component of patient safety, researchers at New York City-based NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing wrote in a Dec. 29 article published in Advances in Nursing Science.
Quality improvement & measurement
The quality playbook: How systems are preparing for outpatient procedure expansion
Health systems are actively working to bolster quality and safety practices in outpatient settings as more care historically only performed in hospitals moves to ambulatory facilities.
Hospital mortality, infection rates improve despite rising acuity: 3 findings
Even as patient acuity climbed over the last several years, hospitals posted notable gains in mortality and reductions in two major hospital-acquired infections, a new Vizient report found.
Public ED boarding dashboard launches in Connecticut
The Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians has launched a public dashboard featuring emergency department boarding data from hospitals across the state.
HAI rates drop in acute care hospitals: CDC
In 2024, the rate of six healthcare-associated infections commonly reported in acute care hospitals declined from the year prior, according to a CDC report published Jan. 29.
15 most common CMS citations in 2025
In 2025, CMS accreditation agencies, such as The Joint Commission and DNV Healthcare, conducted 4,523 surveys at U.S. hospitals.
Patient and caregiver experience
Patient experience in the new year: Outlook for 2026
As we come to the end of another year, the changes and challenges of 2025 could yield opportunities for patient experience work in 2026.
NYU Langone shakes up its recipe for hospital meals
New York City-based NYU Langone Health has undergone a culinary overhaul with a clear goal: to prove hospital food can be both healthy and delicious.
Clinical leadership
Why (and how) Jefferson Health is expanding its nurse ‘SEAL team’
Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health is working to expand an innovative nursing program into the system’s newly integrated Lehigh Valley Health Network region in Pennsylvania.
The culture behind Memorial Hermann’s award-winning nursing units
Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston is earning national recognition for embedding healthy work environments into daily operations — a strategy leaders say is key to retaining nurses in today’s competitive workforce climate.
