Articles and Blogs

NATIONAL 6 Joint Commission sentinel alerts, safety advisories in 2023 After historic strike, Kaiser Permanente workers win 21% raise over 4 years AHA: Cybersecurity is a hospital board issue AHA Urges CMS to Rigorously Enforce New Policies to Safeguard MA Coverage AHIMA Launches Social Determinants of Health Data Initiative Amazon doesn’t want to reinvent... READ MORE

As fall begins in many parts of the country and cooler temperatures move in, so do a range of new employment laws and proposed regulations. Some of these changes include a new employer work rules standard recently adopted by the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”), a long‑awaited guidance update on workplace harassment from the... READ MORE

Site prep is underway on a 68-acre parcel where University Health is building a new full-service hospital near Texas A&M University-San Antonio. The $475M project is planned for the historically underserved south side of San Antonio and will open in 2027. In response to hundreds of cancer patients coming from out of state to... READ MORE

NATIONAL AHA asks CMS to stop telehealth rule AHA-supported bill would expand access to telehealth services Another strike notice possible at Kaiser, unions say Congress eyes endgame for PBM legislation Costco accused of sharing customers’ ‘highly personal’ health data with Facebook owner Meta General Catalyst eyes health system acquisition HHS proposed rule to update... READ MORE

On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a second temporary rule (the “Second Temporary Rule”) extending the effective period for the COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications (“telemedicine flexibilities”). These telemedicine flexibilities were previously extended by an earlier temporary... READ MORE

The federal government plans to define “zero-emissions building” for the real estate industry. The definition is part of a plan to create uniform guidelines for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The building industry accounts for 1/3 of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. The Biden administration announced a new initiative that would prohibit unpaid... READ MORE

NATIONAL 75,000 health care workers could soon strike in five states 28 Senators Push CMS to Scrap Nursing Home Staffing Mandate AHA Calls for HHS to Drop Website Tracking Technology Rule AHA responds to requests for stakeholder input on health data privacy, AI   AHA warns hospitals about data ‘time bombs’ AHA: HHS should withdraw... READ MORE

On September 26, 2023, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury (collectively, “the Departments”) released a proposed rule that would again change the administrative fees for participating in the No Surprises Act’s (“NSA”) Independent Dispute Resolution (“IDR”) process. The proposed rule responds to the August 3, 2023 ruling from the... READ MORE

On August 15, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) finalized “Informed Consent: Guidance for IRBs, Clinical Investigators, and Sponsors” (“Final Guidance”), following the FDA’s earlier issuance of draft guidance on the subject in July 2014. The Final Guidance reflects the FDA’s recommendations on informed consent and the regulatory requirements in place to... READ MORE

Investment firm Black Salmon is partnering with Allen Morris Company on a $1B mixed-use development in the Miami Health District. The 7-acre project is expected to include 500,000 sf of medical office, 1,000 apartments and a 150-room hotel. Fitch Ratings expects the recently proposed federal nursing home staffing standards to increase costs for SNFs,... READ MORE