The newsroom includes access to CHA News, which provides timely information to members every Thursday and is at the core of CHA benefits. In addition, it is also home to resources such as toolkits and talking points designed to help member hospitals and health systems communicate with internal and external audiences on a range of current health care-related issues. Links to CHA media statements and press releases can also be found here.
Newsroom
HQI to Host Webinar about HQI Cares, a New Program to Build Cultures of Safety
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
HQI recently launched HQI Cares: Implementing BETA HEART®, a program in partnership with BETA Healthcare Group aimed at helping hospitals develop reliable, sustainable cultures of patient safety and consistent, empathetic, and transparent responses to adverse events.
CHA Reminds Members That Despite Federal Standards, Cal/OSHA COVID-19 ETS Still Applies in California
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
As hospitals under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) authority have been actively implementing the emergency temporary standard (ETS) released on June 10, the American Hospital Association has been encouraging hospitals to comment on the regulation, arguing that the “OSHA COVID-19 ETS would jeopardize … the collective efforts by the field to follow the science-based … guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …”
Additional mRNA Vaccine Dose Authorized for ‘Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised’ Individuals
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
On Aug. 12, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to allow for the use of an additional dose in certain immunocompromised individuals ages 12 and older. Following that announcement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a recommendation that “people whose immune systems are compromised moderately to severely should receive an additional dose of mRNA vaccine after the initial 2 doses.”
CDPH Requires SNFs to Verify Visitor Vaccination
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
The California Department of Public Health has issued updated guidance that requires skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs) to develop and implement a process for verifying the vaccination status of all visitors.
CDC Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters for All, CMS Updates Coding Guidance
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced plans to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots to all individuals beginning the week of Sept. 20 and starting eight months after an individual’s second dose, pending authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a review by the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee.
CMS to Issue Emergency Regulation Requiring Nursing Home Staff to Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
On Aug. 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced it is developing an emergency regulation requiring staff vaccinations within the nation’s more than 15,000 Medicare and Medicaid-participating nursing homes.
CHA Alert Urges Congress to Extend the Deadline to Spend PRF Payments
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
On Aug. 19, CHA issued an alert asking members to call or email their U.S. representative and senator and urge them to support bipartisan legislation extending the deadline to spend Provider Relief Fund payments.
CDPH Will Consider Team Nursing Program Flexibility Requests
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Today, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) stated that it will consider requests from hospitals for program flexibility to implement team nursing models. These requests average the number of patients among nurses, which are distinct from other flexibility with regard to nurse-patient staffing ratios. In essence, the type of team nursing model that CDPH will consider involves waiving the Title 22 provision that prevents hospitals from averaging the number of patients and the number of nurses to meet the numerical ratio requirement.
CDPH Releases Health Order Requiring Notices, Accepting Transfers
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
On Aug. 16, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a state public health officer order on hospital surge. This requires hospitals to give notice when certain triggers are met and to accept patients under specific conditions.
New Executive Order Extends Waiver Authority for CDPH and EMSA
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
On Aug. 16, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order reinstating certain authorities that had been granted to state government agencies early in the pandemic, but were withdrawn on June 11, 2021. Specifically, yesterday’s order does the following for two key provisions related to hospitals that were set to expire Sept. 30, 2021:
