Patient Safety & Outcomes

Intermountain Healthcare said it is joining other U.S. hospitals and health systems that have delayed nonemergency surgeries amid a COVID-19 surge fueled by the highly transmissible delta variant.

More Delta Air Lines workers have started the COVID-19 vaccination process after the company announced it would increase health insurance costs for its unvaccinated employees.

The median age of fully vaccinated people who developed a severe breakthrough COVID-19 infection from March through June was 80, a study published Sept. 7 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found. 

As hospitals across the U.S. grapple with a rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations fueled by the highly transmissible delta variant, some are postponing nonemergency procedures to ensure they can adequately care for critical coronavirus patients. 

Amid rising COVID-19 cases, Atlanta-based Grady Memorial Hospital is canceling all nonessential outpatient surgeries and procedures, effective Sept. 8, reports Fox affiliate WAGA-TV.

Cotton fiber embolization can occur during cardiovascular, neurovascular and peripheral vascular interventions, which can cause patient complications. To increase the safety of interventional procedures, it is important to eliminate cotton-based products from the procedural workflow.

With COVID-19 hospitalizations reaching system records four days in a row, Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health is getting explicit about what medical needs call for the emergency room. 

Cranston, R.I.-based Eleanor Slater Hospital has regained its Joint Commission accreditation, but inspectors are expected back in six to eight months, Gov. Dan McKee said Sept. 7, according to The Providence Journal. 

Idaho activated crisis standards of care Sept. 6 for hospitals in the state's northern region, which are facing severe shortages of staff and available beds amid the latest COVID-19 surge. 

The fractured process of COVID-19 vaccination record keeping has prevented some Philadelphia-based hospitals from discerning which patients have gotten the COVID-19 shot, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Aug. 31.