Since June, the number of individuals who experience long COVID-19 has dropped, the Kaiser Family Foundation wrote of its findings after examining CDC data on long COVID-19. On top of that, more than 50 percent of patients who once reported having long COVID-19 say they are no longer affected by it.

All COVID-19 vaccines should be targeted to the original and dominant strains, an FDA advisory panel said Jan. 26, but members debated whether a new modified vaccine every 12 months is optimal.  

Concern is rising among health experts about the possibility of an H5N1 avian flu pandemic, as the strain has now been found in mammals. A Spanish mink farm was infected with the virus in October, signaling to experts the strain's capability to evolve and spread to other mammals, including humans, at possible pandemic levels.

State nursing boards are investigating individuals who allegedly purchased fraudulent nursing school degrees and diplomas as part of a widespread coordinated scheme, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing told Becker's Jan. 26. 

A patient incurred minor injuries at Portland, Ore.-based OHSU Hospital after a fire broke out in an operating room in Demember, a spokesperson confirmed to Becker's in a Jan. 26 statement. The incident prompted a CMS investigation and a corrective plan from the hospital. The news was first reported by NBC affiliate KGW8. 

A new study published in Nature found major gaps in the treatments of patients infected with Helicobacter pylori, bacteria that can lead to stomach ulcers and is persistently found to be a risk factor for gastric cancer — the fourth-deadliest cancer worldwide. 

Forty-one percent of nurses nationwide do not feel prepared for a future variant, surge or pandemic, data from the American Nurses Foundation's survey revealed.

Kaiser Permanente has committed $25 million to support gun violence prevention efforts spearheaded through its Center for Gun Violence Research and Education, the Oakland, Calif.-based system said Jan. 26.

A team of 25 medical professionals at Fort Worth, Texas-based Cook Children's Medical Center performed the hospital's first separation procedure for conjoined twin sisters on Jan. 23. The 11-hour surgery required months of planning and several simulation surgeries, the hospital said in a news release. 

After three long pandemic years, the time is now for hospital clinicians to refocus efforts on infection control and prevention, said Aaron E. Glatt, MD, chair of medicine, chief of infectious disease and epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, N.Y.

By and large, nurses want to be involved in decisions that affect their daily practice at the bedside, with recent evidence suggesting it may even combat burnout.

New research focusing on improving a standard treatment for septic shock has provided clarity around something that has not been well understood in the past: How to best increase blood pressure during an episode of septic shock.

Below are four recent long COVID-19 updates Becker's has covered since the beginning of 2023: 

Below are six health systems and hospitals currently seeking chief medical officers around the country. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. Information was gathered directly from jobseeker websites. 

Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City have launched an online dashboard that provides data on 36 key health measures, including heart disease and breast cancer deaths, for all 435 congressional districts in the U.S. The tool is meant to guide lawmakers' decisions on health policy. 

As the American Medical Association works to block state laws from broadening the scope of advanced practice registered nurses, six states have explored expanding APRNs' roles.

The weekly rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations was nearly three times lower at the end of December compared to the same period a year prior, CDC data shows.

Hospital clinical leaders know the value of accreditation, whether from The Joint Commission or another organization. They know a commitment to meeting standards and emphasizing a consistent approach to care is essential to achieving desired ratings and ultimate accreditation.

The U.S. is facing a dire shortage of infectious disease specialists and some experts point to a complex web of issues that currently face the specialty as drivers of the shortage, Fox News reported Jan. 25.

Depression is prevalent among nurse practitioners, but these burned out professionals are reluctant to reach out for mental healthcare — instead choosing to embrace "maladaptive" personal coping skills including drinking and binge eating, according to a Medscape report.