Maternal mortality increased 4 percent from 2016 to 2018, according to America's Health Rankings, based on data from the CDC Wonder Online Database mortality files.

Hospitals must work to eliminate the "climate of secrecy" that surrounds superbug outbreaks without creating misplaced fear in patients, Matt McCarthy, MD, an infectious disease physician Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times.

The CDC created its first education module for identifying and diagnosing Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a potentially fatal tickborne disease.

The current vaccination policies in Australia, Ireland, Italy, the United Kingdom and the U.S., may not be robust enough to keep measles at bay and prevent a resurgence of the infection, according to a study published in BMC Medicine.

Pictures of eye images and messages encouraging compliance with social norms failed to improve adherence to hand hygiene protocols among healthcare professionals in a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Chicago reported its first measles case — and the second confirmed in Cook County — May 19, reports the Chicago Tribune. The confirmed cases come less than two weeks after a study identified the county as most vulnerable for experiencing a measles outbreak.

Some diabetes patients are building their own unapproved devices to manage blood sugar levels, which could pose numerous health risks for patients, the FDA said in a May 17 safety notice.

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan of Sussex departed from royal tradition by delivering their son Archie at an American-owned hospital in London, reports USA Today.

Twenty-eight states reported sporadic flu activity for the week ending May 11, which may continue for several more weeks, according to the CDC's most recent FluView report.

The American College of Surgeons is aiming to improve surgical quality for geriatric patients through a new set of care standards, the group announced May 14.

Acts of violence and harassment are forcing physicians to hide their identities while treating Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports The Washington Post.

The findings are presented in order of publication in Becker's Hospital Review, from January through May 16.

The creation of new antibiotics could help solve the global antimicrobial resistance crisis, but must be paired with more disciplined, strategic use of the medications, according to a paper published in Evolutionary Applications.

Washington state has reported five new cases of measles, less than a week after legislators passed a law preventing personal or philosophical exemptions for the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine among school-age children.

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare aims to detect and treat patients with sepsis sooner with the help of a home-grown alert system called Sepsis Prediction and Optimization of Therapy.

Louisiana is cracking down on violence against healthcare workers after a nurse died from injuries linked to a patient attack last month, reports The Advocate.

Oregon has the most hospitals with an "A" safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, according to the organization's spring 2019 update.

Thousands of hospitals nationwide now have access to real-time quality metrics from The Joint Commission, the group announced May 14.

The Leapfrog Group has assigned letter grades to hospitals based on their patient safety performance twice annually since spring 2012. Forty-one hospitals have earned an "A" in every update, including the spring 2019 update released May 15.

The Leapfrog Group gave nine hospitals failing grades in its spring 2019 Hospital Safety Grades released May 15.