Nearly two years into the pandemic, and on the heels of a fourth COVID-19 wave that rivaled the past three, it appears that there may be some good news on the horizon. COVID-19 positivity rates are dropping, and hospitalizations seem to have levelled off or are slightly decreasing, an early sign that perhaps the unprecedented surge brought on by the omicron variant is slowing.
It’s a years-long problem with a long name: ambulance patient offload delays (APOD). This long-standing issue is wreaking havoc on the health care system, not just in our region but throughout the state and the country. And while there may not be a quick and easy solution, CHA and Hospital Council are actively engaging on this important issue with the state’s Emergency Medical Services Agency as well as local officials.
The calendar may say 2022, but if you’re feeling a bit of déjà vu, you’re probably not alone. While it’s a new year, many of the same issues and challenges of the past two years — weather events, power outages, and the rapid escalation of COVID-19 cases — are still with us.
As we close out 2021 and prepare to welcome a new year, it’s important to take time this holiday season to celebrate and reflect. Although it’s easy to get frustrated, sad, and even angry over the pandemic and the current state of the world, it’s essential to remember how far we’ve come since last year at this time as the first doses of the vaccine were rolling off the trucks — awaited by millions eager to finally put the pandemic behind them.
Recently, the American Hospital Association (AHA) asked hospitals and health systems to affirm their commitment to a voluntary set of patient billing guidelines.
It’s been 20 months since Gov. Newsom first declared a state of emergency in California, and in that time so much has changed — but at the same time, it hasn’t. While COVID-19 hospitalizations have remained fairly flat in many parts of the state, the significant rise in the Central Valley is raising concerns about an increase throughout the state after the Thanksgiving holiday.
It seems everywhere we go these days — shopping malls, restaurants, the grocery store — the help wanted signs are plentiful. Labor shortages are impacting the economy nationwide, and it’s no different in our hospitals.
COVID-19 has caused a number of challenges for our health care system and for our hospitals. Now we can add the extremely difficult supply chain issues to the obstacles facing our hospitals not only here in California, but throughout the country.
The 2021 legislative session is in the books, and the governor has signed over 700 — yes, over 700 — bills into law. As usual, many of those bills will impact hospitals.
As you are probably aware, CHA recently submitted letters to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Attorney General that seek relief for the state’s ongoing workforce challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.