Advocate Health, a 69-hospital system based in Charlotte, N.C., is seeking systemwide hospital accreditation with The Joint Commission.  The initiative will enable hospital-to-hospital benchmarking within the system and with other hospitals with similar geographic profiles, according to a May 27…

Mental health among mothers in the U.S. has declined significantly over the past decade, according to a new study based on data from more than 198,000 mothers. The research, published May 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine, found a steep drop…

Patient volumes are rising year after year at Shriners Children’s — but access is keeping pace. Through creative programs and partnerships, the health system is finding new ways to reach patients who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Bill Munley,…

In a May 28 message to health system CEOs, two national healthcare safety organizations compared cutting infection control jobs to “dismantling the fire department during wildfire season.” The Leapfrog Group and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology…

A new fast-spreading COVID-19 variant, NB.1.8.1, tied to a surge in China, has been identified in the U.S. as access to routine vaccinations is poised to narrow, CBS News reported May 27.  Here are five things to know: 

The CDC’s decision to remove COVID-19 vaccines from its recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women has sparked significant concern from healthcare industry groups. While some groups, like the American Hospital Association, took a more neutral stance, others…

Newton (Mass.)-Wellesley Hospital has concluded its investigation into a possible cluster of tumor cases among longtime nurses who work in the maternal care ward, finding no environmental contributors, The Boston Globe reported May 27. Investigations by the Massachusetts Department of…

The CDC ended its healthcare infection control practices advisory committee on May 8, and healthcare associations and groups are decrying the decision. Each year, hospitals incur $28.4 billion to $45 billion in direct medical costs due to hospital-associated infections. HAIs…

A new AMN Healthcare survey published May 27 found it now takes an average of 31 days to schedule a physician appointment in 15 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas — up 19% from 2022 and 48% from 2004. AMN…

The CDC no longer recommends that healthy children and pregnant women receive routine COVID-19 vaccinations, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said May 27. The CDC removed COVID-19 vaccines from its recommended immunization schedule for these populations, effective immediately. The…