IHA Compliance Webinar on Life Safety, Physical Environment Oct. 24
Preventing common compliance deficiencies in the hospital physical environment can help avoid costly citations while improving quality care. An Oct. 24 IHA webinar, “
Life Safety and Physical Environment: Survey Issues,” will identity and provide strategies to address the most problematic life safety code and physical environment issues among hospitals.
Compliance expert Nancy Ruzicka will lead the 9-10:30 a.m. CT session focusing on what surveyors look for and how to stay ahead of compliance challenges. Ruzicka, herself a former surveyor, will also share recent physical environment updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including categorial waivers, ligature-resistant environments, and air pressure and humidity requirements in surgical suites.
The webinar is designed for:
- Facilities teams, including engineers, maintenance and environmental services staff;
- Compliance and regulatory professionals;
- Risk managers, safety officers and quality improvement leaders; and
- Legal counsel and other staff involved in compliance and survey preparation.
The webinar will be recorded and available to registrants for 30 days after the session. Registration fees are $195 for hospitals and $395 for health systems.
Register today to stay ahead of compliance challenges.
Register: Domestic Violence and Health Care Summit Oct. 21
Healthcare professionals and domestic violence service providers are invited to join the
Domestic Violence and Health Care Summit from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CT on Oct. 21 at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Normal. This one-day event, hosted by the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and SIU Medicine, offers a unique opportunity to cross-train, share insights, and strengthen collaborations between the medical and domestic violence fields.
Attendees will gain practical strategies to identify, refer and serve survivors of domestic violence in medical settings. Sessions will explore topics such as public health implications, improving care practices and lethality assessments. Participants will also engage in practice-based learning and networking, enhancing skills that can be applied in their professional settings. Continuing Medical Education (CMEs) and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available at no cost for medical, domestic violence, and partner abuse intervention professionals.
Click here for more information and to register.
CDC Adopts ACIP Recommendations for COVID-19, Chickenpox Vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday
announced it has updated its adult and child immunization schedules for COVID-19 and chickenpox vaccination, adopting the recent recommendations by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that were approved last week. Patients are now advised to consult their healthcare provider if they want to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, which would be covered by health insurance like other routine vaccines. It is also now recommended that children through age 3 receive a standalone chickenpox vaccine rather than the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine.
Report: Most STD Cases Decline While Newborn Syphilis Cases Grow
According to 2024
provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while sexual transmitted disease (STD) rates among U.S. adults declined last year, newborn syphilis cases, in which infected moms pass the disease to their babies, continued to increase. Compared to a decade ago, congenital syphilis is nearly 700% higher. Other key findings:
- Chlamydia cases declined for the second year in a row, down 8% since 2023.
- Gonorrhea cases declined for the third year in a row, down 10% since 2023.
- Congenital syphilis increased for the 12th year in a row, with nearly 4,000 reported cases in 2024. Primary and secondary syphilis cases declined for the second year in row, down 22% since 2023.
