Health Care


AKOSH Local Emphasis Program Focused on Health Care Workplaces

AKOSH's enforcement inspections under the program will focus on the types of hazards commonly found in hospitals and other health care settings: slips, trips, and falls; bloodborne pathogens; tuberculosis; workplace violence; and ergonomics.

MMWR Article Outlines Study of Newly Arrived Ticks

The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) has been found in several U.S. states since it was first discovered here in New Jersey in August 2017.

Three Winners in HHS Easy EHR Issue Reporting Challenge

"Helping reduce the burden of health IT continues to be a key area of focus at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and we anticipate the winning submissions to the Easy EHR Issue Reporting Challenge will help with those efforts," said Dr. Don Rucker, M.D., HHS national coordinator for health information technology.

NYC Mayor Announces Bronx Opioids Action Plan

The Bronx surpassed Staten Island in 2017 as the borough with the highest rate of overdose deaths, according to Health Department data. "The Bronx needs more support to reduce drug overdoses, and the city is ready to provide that support," said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio.

HHS Issues Draft Strategy to Reduce Burden of Health IT

“Usable, interoperable health IT was one of the first elements of the vision I laid out earlier this year for transforming our health system into one that pays for value,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said. “With the significant growth in EHRs comes frustration caused, in many cases, by regulatory and administrative requirements stacked on top of one another."

South Dakota Reports First 2018-19 Flu Death

"Our sympathy is with the family. Their loss serves as a reminder to us all that influenza can be a very serious illness," said Dr. Joshua Clayton, state epidemiologist for the department. "It is not too late to get vaccinated for this flu season, and if you haven't yet received your annual flu vaccination, the time to do so is now."

Health Groups Release Recommendations on Drug Shortages

They include conducting a GAO study to identify factors that contribute to shortages and developing a list of critical drugs essential for emergency response and preserving life.

HHS Program Aids California Fire Victims

Uninsured residents of Butte, Los Angeles, and Ventura counties in California are eligible for no-cost replacements of critical medications that were lost or damaged by the wildfires in those three counties, thanks to the HHS Emergency Prescription Assistance Program.



FDA Updating Medical Device Review Process

At the heart of new actions FDA is taking is a new goal: ensuring the FDA is consistently first among the world's regulatory agencies to identify and act upon safety signals related to medical devices.

WHO Charts New Course on Malaria

"There is no standing still with malaria. The latest world malaria report shows that further progress is not inevitable and that business as usual is no longer an option," said Dr. Kesete Admasu, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. "The new country-led response will jump-start aggressive new malaria control efforts in the highest burden countries and will be crucial to get back on track with fighting one of the most pressing health challenges we face."

Inaugural Bloomberg Summit to Address Biggest Public Health Issues

The event is hosted by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, which works to address public health issues in the U.S. such as addiction and overdose, obesity and the food system, violence, risks to adolescent health, and environmental health issues.

Global Shortage of Health Workers Needs Urgent Attention: Lancet Editorial

Only half of all countries have the health care workers required to deliver quality health care (estimated at 30 physicians, 100 nurses or midwives, and five pharmacists per 10,000 people), the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study estimates.

New EMS Helicopters Selected for New Zealand's South Island Service

The aim of a 10-year modernization program is to build a national integrated network that covers all of New Zealand, is well connected with other emergency services, is available around the clock, and is safer and more appropriately clinically resourced, according to the Health Ministry.

HHS Working Group Calls for Tick-Borne Disease Strategic Plan

The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, a federal advisory committee established by Congress in the 21st Century Cures Act, issued its first report Nov. 14.

Some Sandia Workers to Be Added to SEC

The class to be added consists of all employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and its contractors or subcontractors who worked in any area at the Sandia National Laboratories during the period from Jan. 1, 1995, through Dec. 31, 1996, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days.

Mayo Clinic School of Medicine Receives $200 Million Gift

It is the largest-ever endowment gift to the Mayo Clinic. The school will now be known as the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

BLS Reports Private-Industry Recordable Case Rate Declined Slightly in 2017

The 2017 rate of total recordable cases was 2.8 per 100 FTE workers, down from 2.9 the year before.

California Voters Approve Proposition on Ambulance Workers

Proposition 11 was passed Nov. 6. It will allow ambulance providers to require workers to remain on call during meal and rest breaks, being paid at their regular rates.

DEA Releases 2018 Drug Threat Assessment

The Drug Enforcement Administration's acting administrator, Uttam Dhillon, said the report underscores the magnitude of the nation's opioid crisis. "This report highlights the necessity of using all the tools at our disposal to fight this epidemic," he said.

DOL Sets Nov. 14 Meeting for Virginia Nuclear Workers

Covered facilities in the state are BWX Technologies Inc. (previously known as Babcock & Wilcox Co.) in Lynchburg, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News, and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

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