Patient safety touches every aspect of hospital care, and every hospital can have tens of programs and initiatives that attempt to address each part of it.

Seasonal influenza activity is on the rise in the U.S., with an uptick in both flu-related emergency department visits and laboratory-confirmed cases, according to a Dec. 6 CDC report. 

Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health is facing scrutiny for alleged poor quality of care that critics say stem from its monopoly, KFF Health News reported Dec. 6.

Criminally charged healthcare workers in Illinois, including those accused of abusing patients, often face little oversight or experience delayed discipline, The Chicago Tribune reported Dec. 6.

To prevent falls, a Colorado hospital is replacing frequent bed alarms with an AI-enabled system that analyzes EHR data for risk indicators. 

New projections for U.S. life expectancy forecast a slight increase by 2050, though the nation is expected to fall behind many other nations in global health rankings, according to research published Dec. 5 in The Lancet.

During Thanksgiving week, the CDC recorded 364 whooping cough infections, surpassing the previous record of 228 cases the same week in 2010. 

University Hospitals St. John Medical Center in Westlake, Ohio, is treating a patient with flu-like symptoms under isolation, a spokesperson for the Cleveland-based system confirmed to Becker's Dec. 5. 

The National Action Alliance for Patient and Workforce Safety launched a new public-facing dashboard that aggregates federal safety data Dec. 5.

Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found that the American Heart Association's stroke guidelines improve the quality and consistency of care for stroke patients and reduce hospital stays.

The District of Columbia's health department is considering allowing certified registered nurse anesthetists to use the title "nurse anesthesiologist." Organizations representing healthcare professionals have argued for and against the title change. 

CMS has reached agreements with bluebird bio and Vertex Pharmaceuticals for their FDA-approved gene therapies for sickle cell disease — Casgevy and Lyfgenia, respectively. 

When patients undergo hysterectomies, they are often unaware of exactly which organs they have had removed or are unfamiliar with the full range of surgical options available, according to a Dec. 1 story from The New York Times, which is based on interviews with physicians and patients. 

The Emergency Care Research Institute has acquired The Just Culture Co., which helps organizations foster a just culture, ECRI said Dec. 2. 

Susan Carroll since 2021 has served as president of Inova Loudoun Hospital, one of only 12 in the U.S. to achieve 26 consecutive "A" grades from Leapfrog Safety Group.

The Joint Commission introduced several notable changes in 2024, including new certifications and revisions to key standards. 

Emergency department visits for flu and respiratory syncytial virus are low but starting to increase, CNN reported Dec. 2. 

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia expanded its food insecurity program by providing families of patients with six months of produce and/or a week of prepared meals, WHYY reported Dec. 2.

Nursing offers various career opportunities and has traditionally been dominated by women. However, more men are entering the field due to its stability and pay potential, The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 30. 

The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, which examines all pregnancy-related deaths, will not examine cases from 2022 and 2023, The Washington Post reported Nov. 26.