‘Not Enough Staff’: Caseload Increase Overwhelms California Nurses
The state is having to ignore a law limiting the number of cases a nurse has to oversee at one time. News is on the GBMC ransomware attack, a new chief customer officer at CVS and more.
AP:
California Bypasses Tough Nurse Care Rules Amid COVID Surge
Overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients in the nation’s most populous state, nurses already stretched thin are now caring for more patients than typically allowed under state law after the state began issuing waivers that allow hospitals to temporarily bypass a strict nurse-to-patient ratios law — a move they say is pushing them to the brink of burnout and affecting patient care. California is the only state in the country to require by law specific number of nurses to patients in every hospital unit. It requires hospitals to provide one nurse for every two patients in intensive care and one nurse for every four patients in emergency rooms, for example. Those ratios, nurses say, have helped reduce errors and protect the safety of patients and nurses. (Rodriguez, 1/8)
The Baltimore Sun:
GBMC Health Care Restoring Electronic Medical Records After Ransomware Incident
One month after a crippling ransomware incident, Greater Baltimore Medical Center is beginning to restore the Towson hospital’s electronic medical records, officials said this week. GBMC previously disclosed little about the Dec. 6 cyberattack, which disrupted the health care system’s communication and data-keeping infrastructure and forced it to take systems offline and reschedule some procedures. The incident also impacted Gilchrist Hospice Care. (Miller, 1/7)
FierceHealthcare:
CVS Taps Veteran Marketing Exec To Serve As First Chief Customer Officer
CVS Health has created a new role in its C-suite: chief customer officer. The healthcare giant has tapped Michelle Peluso, a seasoned marketing and sales executive, to serve in the position. As chief customer officer, Peluso will be spearheading the company's plans to "transform" its customer experience and its push for more digital health solutions. (Minemyer, 1/6)
FierceHealthcare:
CHI Franciscan, Virginia Mason Finalize Acquisition Deal And Roll Out New Name
Healthcare giant CommonSpirit Health finalized a deal to acquire Seattle-based Virginia Mason this week. Virginia Mason will combine with Takoma, Washington-based CHI Franciscan to form an integrated health system to be known as Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Officials said the combined health system will serve as a prototype of care innovation nationally as part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. (Reed, 1/6)
In other health care industry news —
Indianapolis Star:
Dr. Susan Moore: IU Health Convenes Outside Experts To Review Case
Indiana University Health has convened a panel of national experts on diversity and health care to investigate a high-profile case involving alleged racist treatment at the health care system’s Carmel hospital. The six panelists, four of whom are Black, will review the circumstances surrounding the care Dr. Susan Moore received for the coronavirus at IU Health North last month. Moore said in a widely circulated video that a doctor denied her medicine, ignored her pain and sought to discharge her prematurely because she was Black. (Rudavsky, 1/7)
Stat:
When A Psych Bed Search Proves Difficult, These Patients Have A Partner
Hallie-Beth Hollister is a master at cold calling. She has to be. She and a small team of psychiatric bed searchers are responsible for calling hospitals across Massachusetts any time a patient is in need of an inpatient psychiatric bed. (Rapoport, 1/8)
FierceHealthcare:
There Were Plenty Of Red Flags That Spelled The Demise Of Amazon, JPMorgan Healthcare Venture, Experts Say
Haven’s problem may have been internal issues and execution gaps, complicated by the competing interests of its major shareholders, according to Paddy Padmanabhan, founder and CEO of advisory firm Damo Consulting. "It isn’t easy to simply ‘disrupt’ healthcare by throwing tech and dollars at the problem. I believe a combination of market-driven change and policy action at the federal government level will transform healthcare eventually. This is already happening, as we have seen with the rapid rise in telehealth adoption during the pandemic," he said. (Landi, 1/6)
