COVID-19

Outside of the loss of human life due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the past two years have greatly affected hospitals, health systems and the way providers deliver care. Healthcare executives are grappling with federal monetary assistance, growing burnout rates, workforce shortages and federal oversight of vaccines and testing. This channel is also designed to update clinicians on new research and guidelines regarding COVID patient treatment strategies and risk assessments.

COVID-19, other infections linked to major cardiovascular risks—researchers push for vaccination
Adults are three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke after a COVID-19 infection than when they are healthy. The risks are even greater for the flu.
Provider participation in Medicare rose 6.3% over 10 years, peaking in 2019
A new study published in JAMA, which looked at fee-for-service Medicare records from 2013–2023, found that overall participation has trended upward. However, the details paint a complicated picture.
Medicare telehealth reimbursement returns to pre-COVID framework
Without a formal extension before the government shutdown, the flexible telemedicine reimbursement policies introduced in 2020 that removed regional barriers for Medicare patients have officially ended.
Saint Mary’s awarded $510M in damages in lawsuit against Universal Health Services
Universal Health Services was found by a jury to be liable for fraud in an alleged scheme to destabilize Saint Mary’s during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling includes punitive damages.
CDC vaccine committee issues new guidance for COVID-19 shots
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that all Americans six months and older consult a clinician before deciding to get a COVID vaccine, ending the pandemic-era policy that broadly encouraged getting the inoculation.

10 fresh takes on the lab-leak theory of COVID’s origin

Last weekend The Wall Street Journal reported on new classified intelligence that has led the U.S. Energy Department to conclude, albeit with “low confidence,” that the COVID-19 pandemic may have started in a Wuhan lab after all.

Hospitals still facing financial struggles in 2023

Hospital margins were -1% in January 2023, compared to -0.7% in December 2022.

FDA authorizes first at-home flu and COVID-19 test

The test specifically can detect and differentiate between influenza A and B and the SARS-Cov-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Confirmed: Long COVID more than doubles a person’s risk of heart issues

According to a new analysis of data from nearly six million patients, experiencing long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms more than doubles the risk of cardiac complications.

Virtual learning left some radiology residents feeling uncomfortable completing procedures

Some residents recently indicated that virtual learning environments led them to having little-to-no procedural training at all in certain subspecialties.

Some long COVID patients display 'severe' changes in their brain

For patients with anxiety and depression, even mild cases of long COVID could result in functional and structural alterations of the brain.

Millions unaware they will lose Medicaid coverage when COVID-19 PHE ends

In a survey by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation from December 2022, 64.3% of adults in Medicaid-enrolled families were unaware of the resumption of Medicaid renewals in the future.

Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea raises public health concerns

An outbreak of Marburg virus disease has been confirmed in Equatorial Guinea for the first time, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported.

COVID-19

COVID-19, other infections linked to major cardiovascular risks—researchers push for vaccination

Provider participation in Medicare rose 6.3% over 10 years, peaking in 2019

Medicare telehealth reimbursement returns to pre-COVID framework

Saint Mary’s awarded $510M in damages in lawsuit against Universal Health Services

CDC vaccine committee issues new guidance for COVID-19 shots