Recipients of the 2022 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards, which spotlight novel healthcare, were announced Jan. 24 by The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum. 

Adolescents between 11 and 20 years of age make up around 20 percent of pediatric hospital admissions in the U.S. and on top of that, 20 percent of children under 18 also are said to have a special healthcare need, which the American Academy of Pediatrics defines as "having or being at increased risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions."

Patients who experience long COVID-19 are at higher risk for pulmonary, diabetes, neurological and mental health encounters six months after the onset of initial infection, a study published Jan. 18 has found.

Adults over 50 who contract respiratory syncytial virus are at a more serious risk for long-term health effects, according to a study published in JAMA Jan. 20, led by Mayo Clinic physicians Young Juhn, MD, Chung Wi, MD, and Paul Takahashi, MD.

National Institutes of Health researchers found a correlation between viral infections, including influenza, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Science reported Jan. 19.

Many hospital employees are unable to identify the meaning of emergency codes, which could hinder an urgent response to incidents, according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

The Joint Commission published two new alerts on Jan. 17 to reduce morbidity and mortality in pregnant and postpartum patients: a sentinel alert on eliminating racial and ethnic disparities, and a safety advisory on mental health conditions as the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. 

An international analysis found pregnant people with COVID-19 have a seven times higher risk of dying and greater risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit, needing a ventilator or developing pneumonia, The Washington Post reported Jan. 16.

Silverdale, Wash.-based St. Michael Medical Center — which gained media attention after a nurse called 911 from its overcrowded, short-staffed emergency department — has been accredited by The Joint Commission after a preliminary denial.

A new study led by researchers at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University suggests the rise in home healthcare services could come with dangerous consequences: an increase in central line-associated bloodstream infections, or CLABSIs. 

Despite decades of safety work, adverse events are still common in Massachusetts hospitals and may occur in about one-fourth of admissions, according to a study published Jan. 12 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

A record 42,887 organ transplants were performed in the U.S. last year, up 3.7 percent from 2021, according to preliminary data the United Network for Organ Sharing shared Jan. 10. 

NYC Health + Hospitals introduced a culturally diverse, plant-based dinner menu as its primary meal option for inpatients. The initiative builds on the hospital system's "Meatless Monday" program and its successful launch last summer of a plant-based primary lunch menu, according to a Jan. 9 release.

State health officials are investigating Cleveland Clinic in the wake of sexual assault allegations involving a former physician.  

A retroactive study found multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children was more common and more severe than previously reported.

The CDC has awarded Helix a contract to study how human genetics may influence COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, the population genomics and viral surveillance company said Jan. 4. 

Hospitals should universally screen patients for cannabis use prior to surgery, according to new guidelines from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

Young people who have recovered from multisystem inflammatory syndrome can safely receive COVID-19 vaccinations, according to a National Institutes of Health study published in JAMA Network Open Jan. 3. 

The Leapfrog Group has proposed several updates its 2023 hospital survey to ensure it aligns with current science and addresses the needs of consumers and purchasers.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ youth to get the medical services they need, and nurses and home health aides will be trained in specific ways they can provide such healthcare.