Pandemic’s Toll: 55.3% of Surveyed Healthcare Workers Report Subthreshold PTSD Symptoms

The recent study, which was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, is based on survey data collected from 852 healthcare workers from January 2021 to February 2021. The survey participants were recruited from emergency departments affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and emergency medical service agencies in several states, including Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Read More »

OSHA’s Regulatory Plans for 2023

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh recently confirmed that three OSHA healthcare rulemakings are priorities for the Labor Department: a permanent healthcare COVID-19 standard, a proposed infectious disease standard, and a rulemaking to address workplace violence in health care and social services.

Read More »

Joint Commission Targets Maternal Health Crisis

This week, TJC released a Sentinel Event Alert and Quick Safety advisory on maternal mortality and morbidity. “We must address the maternal health crisis immediately, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated racial disparities in pregnancy-related outcomes,” Ana Pujols McKee, MD, executive vice president, chief medical officer, and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer of TJC, said in a prepared statement.

Read More »

The Exec: Coronavirus Pandemic Remains a Top Challenge

Marjorie Bessel, MD, has been with Banner Health for more than a decade. She has  held many physician leadership roles at the health system, including serving as chief medical officer for several hospitals and working as chief medical officer of Banner Health’s Arizona Division. Before taking on the chief clinical officer role, she served as vice president and chief medical officer of community delivery.

Read More »

The Joint Commission Elevates Health Equity to National Patient Safety Goal

The Joint Commission (TJC) —which last year issued new hospital Leadership standards to encourage health equity, effective January 1, 2023—has now elevated health equity to a National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG).
There are no new requirements for NPSG.16.10.01, which echo the Leadership standards except to identify all six elements of performance (EPs) as risk areas.

Read More »

AAMC: Diversity in Medical Schools Increased in 2022

Lack of diversity in the healthcare workforce risks undermining trust and patient health, according to the Urban Institute. An Urban Institute report published last year found that only 22.2% of Black adults reported being of the same race as their healthcare providers compared to 73.8% of White adults and only 23.1% of Hispanic/Latinx adults reported racial, ethnic, and language concordance with their usual healthcare provider.

Read More »