Taking care of patients and their communities is at the heart of what hospitals do, and that wouldn’t be possible without the clinical services that hospitals provide. These services touch all aspects of a hospital’s operations, ranging from the emergency department to behavioral health. Through its numerous area-specific groups, CHA provides advocacy and representation on all aspects of operations — guiding hospitals in meeting regulatory, legal, and licensing requirements.
About Clinical Care
Updates on Temporary Supply Chain Disruption of Contrast Media
The GE Healthcare production facility for iodinated contrast media in Shanghai experienced an unexpected, temporary shutdown that has created temporary supply pressure for radiographic contrast medium used before X-ray imaging.
CHA Issues Alert on Patient Medication Safety, Staffing Agency Transparency
On March 25, CHA issued an alert asking members to urge state senators to support bills that protect patient medication safety and bring transparency to staffing agency practices.
Optimized CURES Will Be Released April 11
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented in 2009 the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program, which uses incentive payments and payment adjustments to encourage the use of qualified electronic prescribing systems. For questions regarding the eRx Incentive Program or eRx payment adjustments, or for assistance submitting a hardship exemption request, contact the QualityNet Help Desk at (866) 288-8912 (TTY 1-877-715-6222) or via [email protected] For additional information and resources, visit www.CMS.gov/ERxIncentive
CMS Resumes Laboratory Survey Activity
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced it will fully resume laboratory survey activity — as required by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) — following a suspension in enforcement action during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).
New APOT Materials Available for Hospitals
As CHA and the Regional Associations continue to work on hospitals’ behalf to help educate about ambulance patient offload times (APOT), CHA has developed materials that members can use when talking with the public, media, lawmakers, or other key stakeholders about this issue.
Board of Registered Nursing Transitions to New Licensure Verification System
Effective March 10, registered nursing license verification requests previously completed by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) using the California Department of Consumer Affairs BreEZe Online Services will transition to a new online service provider — Nursys.
CDPH Revises COVID-19 Reporting Order
The California Department of Public Health issued a State Public Health Officer Order on Feb. 10 that significantly eases required reporting of COVID-19 by health care providers and labs.
A Path Forward on Ambulance Patient Offload Times
While the number of COVID-19 cases in California is beginning to taper on the heels of the largest surge since the pandemic began, hospitals continue to see high numbers of patients needing care — not unexpected since hospitalizations typically lag cases by about two weeks, and the backlog of patients needing other types of care […]
CDPH Updates Recommendation for Hospitals to Offer Vaccines to Patients
On Feb. 7, CDPH issued AFL 21-20.1, which recommends that general acute care hospitals and acute psychiatric hospitals offer COVID-19 vaccinations and booster doses to eligible individuals prior to discharge. This is a CDPH recommendation, not a legal mandate. This AFL updates AFL 21-20 to address boosters and provides technical assistance on options and resources […]
CMS Revises Guidance on COVID-19 Survey Tool, Visitation Restrictions
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued revised guidance on the COVID-19 focused infection control (FIC) survey tool. The guidance now states that there is no longer a need to continue the required use of the special FIC survey tool on a national basis in acute and continuing care providers (ambulatory surgical […]