Basilisk. Centaurus. And now, Kraken. As the omicron strain has splintered off into what seems like endless sublineages, the technical numerical names have become increasingly difficult to commit to memory, making way for unofficial nicknames like Basilisk, Centaurus and now, Kraken. 

The nursing profession continues to secure the highest assessment of ethics and honesty from Americans, according to the latest Gallup poll findings.   

NYC Health + Hospitals introduced a culturally diverse, plant-based dinner menu as its primary meal option for inpatients. The initiative builds on the hospital system's "Meatless Monday" program and its successful launch last summer of a plant-based primary lunch menu, according to a Jan. 9 release.

In a recent press release, Healthmark Industries announced significant changes to their  supply chain efficiency in order to improve the supply of products to industry partners and  increase the manufacturing of major products internally. 

State health officials are investigating Cleveland Clinic in the wake of sexual assault allegations involving a former physician.  

A nurse staffing community is encouraging nurses who left the profession or are considering an exit to recommit as part of a new "unResignation Notice" campaign. The campaign aims to spread awareness on the workplace challenges that contributed to nurses' departures. 

Lee Health has named Iahn Gonsenhauser, MD, chief medical officer. He began the role earlier this month, the Fort Myers, Fla.-based system said in a Jan. 9 news release. 

Two Pennsylvania senators are seeking to eliminate the physician requirement for nurse practitioners, The Morning Call reported Jan. 9.

In the wake of criticism over its "delayed and inconsistent response" to COVID-19, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, is moving forward with a new initiative — the CDC Moving Forward project — that will overhaul "top-to-bottom" the fundamental workings of the agency, according to Bloomberg. 

The nursing school at Lebanon, Tenn.-based Cumberland University has launched a program to offer guaranteed admission to some high school seniors. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published new guidance on the treatment of obesity in children ages 2 and older, its first update on the topic in 15 years. 

Heading into the second week of the new year, experts have their eye on COVID-19 as respiratory syncytial virus and the flu continue to recede. 

The emergence of the highly transmissible omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 should serve as a wake-up call for the U.S. to reinvest in new vaccines, therapeutics and surveillance efforts, Eric Topol, MD, founder and director of Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego, wrote in a Jan. 8 op-ed for The Washington Post.

Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, RN, the newest president of the American Nurses Association, twitches when she hears the word resiliency.

Thirteen moves from nurses unions across the country Becker's has covered since Nov. 3: 

The CDC has lowered its estimate of omicron subvariant XBB.1.5's prevalence in the U.S., now saying the highly transmissible strain accounts for about 28 percent of COVID-19 cases. 

Flu activity remains high, but continues to decline in most parts of the country, the CDC's latest FluView report shows. 

A retroactive study found multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children was more common and more severe than previously reported.

Many colleges and universities launched nursing programs and partnerships last year to address persistent shortages nationwide. Here are 135 nursing programs that launched or expanded in 2022:

Press Ganey, a leading healthcare performance improvement company, recognized seven hospitals for outstanding nursing Jan. 4.