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.  CMS recently finalized the phase-out of its inpatient-only list as part of its 2026…

More than 33,000 people with influenza were hospitalized during the week ending Dec. 27, with experts anticipating at least several more weeks of increases, according to the CDC’s latest FluView report, which was published Jan. 5.  “Just looking at the…

In 2025, CMS accreditation agencies, such as The Joint Commission and DNV Healthcare, conducted 4,523 surveys at U.S. hospitals. Here were the 15 most common citations from these surveys, according to data from CMS’ Quality and Certification Oversight Reports:  1.…

New research from Cleveland Clinic highlights the benefits of giving nurses a voice in administrative decisions.  To assess how participation in shared governance models was associated with job satisfaction and clinical improvement participation, researchers anonymously surveyed clinical nurses, including assistant…

Health system chief quality executives are being asked to do more with less, according to a Vizient report about the role’s future.  As CQEs transform from compliance stewards to strategic leaders, the role increasingly “sits at the intersection of clinical…

The U.S. has recorded 7,045 clinical Candida auris cases as of Dec. 20 — a 56.1% increase from the 4,514 cases logged in 2023, according to CDC data.  About half of those cases are in Nevada and California, which each…

In 2025, federal health agencies dismantled precedents in vaccine guidance, fracturing state-federal alignment and fueling concerns about public health guidance. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June,…

Of the 650 U.S. hospitals designated as “Magnet” hospitals for nursing excellence, about 5% have earned the recognition more than six times.  The American Nurses Credentialing Center awards Magnet recognition to hospitals based on their quality of patient care and…

Florida lawmakers introduced a bill Dec. 17 that would create a pathway to permanent licensure for physicians practicing under temporary certificates in areas of critical need. Temporary certificates allow physicians licensed in other U.S. jurisdictions to practice at approved facilities…

A mutated version of an influenza A strain is dominating this year’s respiratory virus season, driving a record number of cases in some areas of the country. More than half of states reported “high” or “very high” levels of flu-like…