Veterans Affairs, Israel Ministry of Defense renew Partnership to Share Best Practices in Veteran Health Care

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Israel Ministry of Defense renew Partnership to Share Best Practices in Veteran Health Care
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(Information contained in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs press release dated: January 15, 2021)

Washington - - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is renewing its partnership with the Israel Ministry of Defense to continue sharing expertise on caring for Veterans. The partnership focuses on enhancing the quality of life for Veterans through the delivery of state-of-the-art, evidenced-based physical and mental health care that leverages the experience, resources and research of both partners. “The partnership with the Ministry will augment the important work VA does to support Veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This collaboration will also identify opportunities for VA and the Ministry to share best practices in polytrauma rehabilitation and assessment, treatme...

OCR Provides Technical Assistance to Ensure Crisis Standards of Care Protect Against Age and Disability Discrimination | site |



(Information contained in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] press release dated: January 14, 2021)

Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing it has worked collaboratively with the State of North Carolina, the North Texas Mass Critical Care Guidelines Task Force, the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, and the Indian Health Service to revise each entity’s crisis standards of care ("CSC") guidelines to reflect best practices for serving individuals with disabilities and the elderly. This builds on OCR's prior work regarding discrimination concerns during COVID-19. OCR enforces a number of federal antidiscrimination laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, th...

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Issues Alert Regarding SARS-CoV-2 Viral Mutation to Health Care Providers and Clinical Laboratory Staff | site |


Impact on molecular tests remains low


(Information contained in U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] press release: January 8, 2021) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting clinical laboratory staff and health care providers that the FDA is monitoring the potential impact of viral mutations, including an emerging variant from the United Kingdom known as the B.1.1.7 variant, on authorized SARS-CoV-2 molecular tests, and that false negative results can occur with any molecular test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 if a mutation occurs in the part of the virus’s genome assessed by that test. The SARS-CoV-2 virus can mutate over time, like all viruses, resulting in genetic variation in the population of circulating viral strains, as seen with the B.1.1.7 variant. The FDA is taki...

Walgreens Begins Administration of Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine in Long-Term Care Facilities | site |



Walgreens Plans to Administer the Vaccine to Approximately 3 Million Residents and Staff in 35,000 Long-Term Care Facilities as Part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Program


(Information contained in Walgreens press release dated: December 18, 2020)

Deerfield, Ill., December 18, 2020 - Today Walgreens began administering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff at long-term care facilities in a monumental first in the company’s 119-year history. Pharmacists are providing the vaccinations at nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Ohio and Connecticut as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program. Walgreens pharmacy team members will provide COVID-19 vaccinations in approximately 800 long-term care facilities across 12 s...

CVS Health begins Administering COVID-19 Vaccines in Long-term Care Facilities | site |


CVS Health says "Majority of facilities nationwide have selected CVS Pharmacy as vaccination provider"


(Information contained in CVS Health press release: December 21, 2020) Woonsocket, R.I. — CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) has formally launched its COVID-19 vaccination program for long-term care facilities, whose residents have been disproportionality impacted by the pandemic. CVS Pharmacy teams will administer the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in facilities across 12 states this week, and the company expects to vaccinate up to four million residents and staff at over 40,000 long-term care facilities through the program. "Today's rollout is the culmination of months of internal planning and demonstrates how the private sector can use its expertise to help solve some of our most critical challenges," said Larry J. Merlo, President and Chief Executive Off...

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Announces New Model Opportunity for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations Serving Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid | site |



(Information contained in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services press release: December 17, 2020)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation is announcing a new opportunity to enable Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to better serve enrollees who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. This new Model opportunity is the first CMS initiative designed to harness the power of Medicaid MCOs to coordinate Medicare and Medicaid services and improve health outcomes for the population of dually eligible beneficiaries who are in both Medicaid managed care and Medicare fee-for-service (FFS). Currently, Medicaid MCOs do not have an incentive to coordinate care in a way that reduces Medicare FFS costs f...

American Medical Association article says AHA, AMA, ANA urge Health Care Workers to take COVID-19 Vaccine | site |


The following information is contained in American Medical Association (AMA) press release dated December 15, 2020 and titled as follows:

AHA, AMA, ANA urge health care workers to take COVID-19 vaccine

Washington, DC — With the initial distribution and administration of a COVID-19 vaccine underway, leading U.S. medical, nursing and hospital organizations thanked health care professionals in an open letter today and urged them to continue their battle against COVID-19 by taking a vaccine and sharing their experience with others, noting their position as trusted and valued voices in their communities.

The open letter from the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, and American Nurses Association is available here. The full text is below: An open letter to all health care prof...

HHS Proposes Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule to Empower Patients, Improve Coordinated Care, and Reduce Regulatory Burdens| site |



(Information contained in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press release: December 10, 2020) Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces proposed changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule to support individuals’ engagement in their care, remove barriers to coordinated care, and reduce regulatory burdens on the health care industry. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is part of HHS’s Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care, initiated under HHS Secretary Alex Azar’s value-based transformation agenda and led by HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan, which seeks to promote value-based health care by examining federal regulations that impede efforts among health care providers and health pl...

American Medical Association CEO says "COVID-19 is a Painful Validation of Our Long-term Vision for Health Care" | site |





(Information contained in American Medical Association [AMA] press release: November 13, 2020)

AMA CEO James L. Madara, MD In his address to the House of Delegates at the American Medical Association (AMA) November Special Meeting, AMA CEO James L. Madara, MD, highlights how the AMA has supported physicians during the pandemic and how COVID-19 is a painful validation of the organization’s long-term strategic vision for health care.

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American Hospital Association Statement On U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Final Rules Removing Barriers To Coordinated Care | site |




(Information contained in American Hospital Association [AHA] press release: November 20, 2020)

AHA Statement On HHS Final Rules Removing Barriers To Coordinated Care

Tom Nickels
Executive Vice President
American Hospital Association

November 20, 2020

The actions taken today by the Department of Health and Human Services will significantly benefit patients by allowing their health care providers to work together to improve their care. The AHA greatly appreciates the leadership of Deputy Secretary Hargan in finalizing this rule and listening to the concerns of hospitals and health systems. The AHA has long called for the ability to coordinate care among providers to provide comprehensive patient care. Outd...

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services makes Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute Reforms to support Coordinated, Value-Based Care | site |



(Information contained in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press release: November 20, 2020) Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published two final rules that aim to reduce regulatory barriers to care coordination and accelerate the transformation of the healthcare system into one that pays for value and promotes the delivery of coordinated care. The rules provide greater flexibility for healthcare providers to participate in value-based arrangements and to provide coordinated care for patients. The final rules also ease unnecessary compliance burden for healthcare providers and other stakeholders across the industry, while maintaining strong safeguards to protect patients and programs from fraud and abuse. The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued the final rule “Revi...

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services publishes Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Managed Care Final Rule Fact Sheet | site |



(November 9, 2020) - - On November 9, 2020 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the following:


Medicaid & Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Managed Care Final Rule - CMS-2408-F

Overview The announcement of the 2020 Medicaid & CHIP Managed Care final rule highlights the Trump Administration’s continued commitment to reduce administrative burden and cut red tape, support state flexibility, and promote transparency and innovation in the Medicaid and CHIP programs for the growing number of people in Medicaid and CHIP managed care. This final rule finalizes policies from the Notice of Proposed Rule Making issued in November 2018. Based on 2018 state Medicaid and CHIP enrollment data, eighty three percent, or around 66 million people, are enrolled in...

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs confirms Authority for its Health Care Professionals to Practice across State Lines | site |


(November 13, 2020) - - Today, November 13, 2020, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs published the following information:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it published an interim final rule affirming VA’s current policy allowing VA health care professionals to practice across state lines in accordance with the scope and requirements of their VA employment, regardless of conflicting state requirements.

This regulation allows VA the flexibility to mobilize and hire qualified health care professionals from any state and quickly place them in areas of need — which is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VA maintains and continues to exercise this authority. Reaching beyond the coronavirus pandemic and as identified in “VA’s Fourth Mission”,...

KidneyX COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge Seeks Replicable Frontline Solutions | site |



(November 6, 2020) - - On November 6, 2020 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published the following information:

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) launched the KidneyX COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge. The $300,000 challenge seeks solutions that reduce the transmission of coronavirus among people living with kidney disease and/or reduce the risk of kidney damage among people who contract the virus.

The 37 million Americans living with kidney disease are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. And acute kidney injury — sudden loss of kidney function — affects 20-40% of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care. The pandemic is exacerbating existing health disparities and social determinants of health, as kidney disease disproportionately affects exit...

American Hospital Association says Project Firstline brings Flex, Easy-access COVID-19 Training to the Health Care Front-lines| site |


American Hospital Association is proud to partner with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reach and engage all health care personnel with this vital online curriculum


(October 28, 2020) - - On October 28, 2020 the American Hospital Association published the following information: CHICAGO (October 28, 2020) — In a time when health care personnel are working tirelessly on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19, bringing them quick and easy access to critical infection prevention and control training is essential. Project Firstline, a national training collaborative between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and some of the nation’s leading health care organizations, including the American Hospital Association (AHA), is designed to help health care workers increase their ...