About Hospital Operations
Hospitals are grappling with staffing shortages, financial shortfalls, and extensive oversight and regulation. One in five hospitals is at risk of closure, yet hospitals remain committed to maintaining the care communities rely on and supporting the state’s health care workforce. To do this, hospitals are actively working with legislators and policymakers to find innovative and efficient ways to deliver care to all Californians.
HCAI Releases White Paper on Seismic Instrumentation
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) recent white paper covers how useful and beneficial it is for health care facilities to utilize seismic instrumentations, such as various sensors that measure accelerations and displacements.
What else to know: The paper was developed by the Hospital Building Safety Board’s Instrumentation Committee and its information is valuable to hospital owners and managers, operators, design professionals, public officials, and the general public.
CHA Web Page Shares Resources for Los Angeles Hospitals
What’s happening: CHA has established a web page with federal and state resources to help hospitals respond to the fires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
What else to know: The web page provides the latest information on actions at the federal and state levels, which can support hospitals’ response to the fires.
2025 Rural Health Care Symposium Is Fast Approaching
What’s happening: In just two months, on March 10-11, the 40th Rural Health Care Symposium will take place in Sacramento and will address the most pressing issues facing rural hospitals today.
What else to know: The symposium will cover emerging trends and legislative challenges, updates on the Office of Health Care Affordability and the Hospital Quality Assurance Fee Program, and leveraging data to streamline operations and boost efficiencies, among many other topics.
CHA to Host 2025 HR Conference
What’s happening: CHA has partnered with the Hospital Association of Southern California to host the 2025 HR Conference in Long Beach, taking place on Feb. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. and Feb. 20 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What else to know: The conference will cover topics relevant to human resource (HR) professionals, including recruitment and retention strategies, reasonable accommodation best practices, wage and hour compliance, and workplace investigations. Registration is open for CHA members.
CMS Memos Clarify Policies for Providers, State Survey Agencies
What’s happening: In four new memos, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clarifies survey policies for critical access hospitals (CAHs), long-term care facilities (LTC), and laboratories.
What else you need to know: New and revised guidance addresses time-share and leased space arrangements in CAHs, immediate jeopardy in laboratories, and LTC policies.
DEA, HHS Extend Telehealth Prescribing Flexibilities
What’s happening: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended existing waiver flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine through Dec. 31, 2025.
What else to know: This is the third extension.
HCAI Releases Policy Intent, Code Application Notices
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) has released policy intent notices (PIN) on steel quality and quality control, and code application notices (CAN) for nurse stations and self-contained medication dispensing units (MDUs).
What else to know: Issued by HCAI’s Office of Statewide Hospital Planning and Development, these new policies and code changes aim to streamline, outline, and clarify various aspects of hospital operations.
CHA Releases Report to Help Hospitals Comply with New Laws
What’s happening: Hospitals can use the 2024 Report on State Legislation as they navigate the many health care-related bills the governor signed into law this session.
What else to know: The report summarizes the most significant health care bills of the year, as well as broader legislative changes that affect patients and employers.
CHA 2025 Legal Update Webinar Tackles Workplace Compliance in Health Care
What’s happening: CHA is hosting a members-only webinar on Nov. 13 from 10-11 a.m. (PT) to discuss recently enacted labor and employment laws that will impact hospital workplace operations in 2025.
What else to know: Erika Frank, vice president, legal counsel, is co-hosting this webinar with Gail Blanchard-Saiger, principal with Blanchard Saiger Law. Registration is open.
HQI Quality Quarterly Spotlights Patient Safety Strategies
What’s happening: The latest edition of Quality Quarterly explores the prevalence of behavioral health conditions among California hospital encounters, the dangers of menopause misdiagnosis, new patient safety measures outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the need for effective reporting of workplace violence incidents by hospital staff.
What else to know: More than half of California hospitals now use HQI’s Hospital Quality Improvement Platform (HQIP), which provides comparative analytics to help hospitals identify opportunities for improvement. Learn about HQIP’s new features and updates in this latest edition.