On December 14, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services announced $218 million in funding to assist 26 hospital systems in reducing hospital readmissions and preventable medical errors.
November is not just about football, leaves changing and Thanksgiving; in Washington, DC November means some heavy deadlines that could impact financial markets here and around the globe.
Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded millions of dollars in funds under the Affordable Care Act to support primary and mental health care in community settings.
San Antonio, Texas hosted the 2011 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual Legislative Summit. Hot weather and hot topics were plentiful: energy, transportation, budgets, and of course health reform, to name a few. ANA uses this summit as an opportunity to educate policy makers and other attendees about the profession and related issues as well as connect with national and international experts. This year, ANA presented opportunities for state legislators to pursue recommendations from the 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Future of Nursing report, particularly relevant with health reform initiatives.
In honor of National Nurses Week, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued an official statement recognizing the contributions nurses make toward the health of the nation.
Here is a wrap-up of recent actions affecting Medicare & Medicaid patients and providers by CMS, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS has many excellent resources – including facts sheets, rules and regulations, and schedules for upcoming calls and public meetings — available on their website, www.cms.gov. CMS is taking a leading role in developing policies to implement the Affordable Care Act, in addition to its continuing responsibilities for administering Medicare programs for seniors and the disabled, as well as the federal portion of state Medicaid programs.
