Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Releases $20B More For Providers In Relief Funding
Modern Healthcare: HHS Rolls Out Applications For $20 Billion In Provider Grants
HHS on Thursday announced that it will accept applications for $20 billion in new provider relief grants for a month starting Oct. 5. Unlike many prior distributions, healthcare providers will have to apply for additional funds and supply data about their financial situations to qualify. The funds will be newly available to some behavioral health providers and any providers that began practicing in 2020. (Cohrs, 10/1)
Modern Healthcare: HHS Awards More Than $2.2 Billion To Boost HIV/AIDS Care
HHS awarded more than $2.2 billion to cities, counties, states and community-based organizations to deliver HIV/AIDS care, support services and medication, the agency said Thursday. The grants will go to participants in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, which provides care and treatment to low-income people with HIV. The program helps about half of all people diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. According to HHS, it helped control the virus in nearly 9 in 10 people in 2018, up from less than 7 in 10 people in 2010. The program aims to reduce new HIV infections in the U.S. by 90% by 2030. HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration runs the program. (Brady, 10/1)
In other health industry news —
AP: Hacked Hospital Chain Says All 250 US Facilities Affected
The hospital chain Universal Health Services said Thursday that computer services at all 250 of its U.S. facilities were hobbled in last weekend’s malware attack and efforts to restore hospital networks were continuing. Doctors and nurses at affected hospitals and clinics, many already burdened with coronavirus care, have had to rely on manual record-keeping, with lab work slowed. Employees have described chaotic conditions impeding patient care. (Bajak, 10/1)
Modern Healthcare: 4 Health IT Lessons Learned From The UHS Cyberattack
A malware attack at Universal Health Services, one of the largest hospital chains in the U.S., has highlighted long-standing cybersecurity concerns faced by hospitals. To contain a malware intrusion that UHS discovered in its information systems Sunday, UHS took all of its U.S. information technology networks offline, including systems for medical records, laboratories and pharmacies. UHS has been bringing servers back online as it investigates the cyberattack, so some facilities don't have all applications available yet. (Cohen, 10/1)
Becker's Hospital Review: Female Physicians Spend More Time With Patients, Get Paid Less, Study Finds
Female primary care physicians spend more time with patients during visits, but get paid less than their male peers, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found. Researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis, Boston-based Harvard Medical School and athenahealth analyzed all-payer claims and EHR data on 24.4 million primary care visits nationwide in 2017. (Bean, 10/1)
Becker's Hospital Review: Device Used In Cardiothoracic Surgery Poses Infection Risk, FDA Warns
The FDA is warning healthcare providers of a potential infection risk linked to heater-cooler devices used during cardiothoracic surgery. The agency received three reports of patients from one healthcare facility who were infected with Mycobacterium abscessus bacteria after heart surgery involving CardioQuip's Modular Cooler-Heater. The bacteria typically do not pose a threat to humans, but in rare cases can cause infections or death. The cause of the infections and device contamination is unknown, the FDA said. (Bean, 10/1)
