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Trump to sign executive orders protecting preexisting conditions and seeking a way to prevent surprise medical bills

Sep 28, 2020

President Donald Trump will sign a series of executive orders aimed at protecting people with preexisting conditions and look for a way to prevent surprise medical bills, senior administration officials said Thursday. Trump discussed the executive orders, which are part of his “America First” health-care plan, during his visit to Charlotte, North Carolina later in the day. Health and Human Services...

CMS Announces $165M to Support Home Care, Reduce ‘America’s Over-Reliance’ on Nursing Homes

Sep 25, 2020

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took a new step on Wednesday to support care transitions from long-term care facilities into home- and community-based settings. On Wednesday, CMS announced the availability of up to $165 million in supplemental funding to states currently operating Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration programs. MFP programs allow certain Medicaid users, including older adults, to more...

How medical students are innovating during COVID-19

Sep 21, 2020

The pandemic has been an all-hands-on-deck situation for health care. That has meant channeling the brainpower and energy of those who are just starting their careers in medicine: medical students. Medical students have contributed in the clinical realm, through volunteer work and through embracing challenges in the digital health realm. That has been evident in the work done by Sling Health , an innovation incubator led by medical...

Bag packed, 'ready to scramble': This traveling nurse typifies a booming labor niche amid COVID-19

Sep 18, 2020

MILWAUKEE – Kristina Starcevic grew up listening to stories from her dad, a former newspaperman, about the adventures he had hitchhiking in his 20s. She wanted to have the types of stories he did. “How can I travel but still make it safe?" she asked herself. "And nursing was it for sure.” Nursing? It usually doesn’t spring to mind when people seek out an occupation with “opportunity for...

New York eases COVID-19 visitation rules at nursing homes. What you need to know

Sep 16, 2020

New York health officials are easing COVID-19 visitation restrictions for nursing homes under pressure from family members and industry groups. Nursing homes will soon be allowed to resume limited visitations for facilities that have been without COVID-19 for at least 14 days, down from the current 28 days, state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said Tuesday. The new rules go into effect Thursday and will allow eligible visitation...

How price transparency can fix American health care

Sep 14, 2020

What if there were a policy reform to break the congressional impasse on the latest COVID-19 legislation, provide a tremendous economic stimulus, and fix American health care in a bipartisan way? This unicorn solution exists in the form of health care price transparency. This summer, Sen. Mike Braun, R-Indiana, introduced the Healthcare Price Transparency Act . The bill requires hospitals and health insurers to publish their...

Shepherd nursing students polish skills through clinical hours at regional healthcare facilities

Sep 07, 2020

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on healthcare practitioners. Programs such as Shepherd University’s School of Nursing play a big role in preparing those practitioners for the job of taking care of patients suffering from all kinds of health issues. “Our nurses and nurse practitioners are on the frontline of giving care during this epidemic of opioid abuse and the COVID-19 pandemic,”...

Highest-paying states for nurses

Sep 01, 2020

If you look up the meaning of a nurse in the dictionary , you will find, “a licensed health-care professional who practices independently or is supervised by a physician, surgeon, or dentist and who is skilled in promoting and maintaining health.” Who would ever imagine that in 2020 it would mean combating a novel coronavirus, putting oneself at extremely-increased risk, and donning...

GUEST ESSAY: Nurses make a positive impact

Aug 31, 2020

For as long as I can remember, a career in health care interested me. The opportunity to give back to my community made it even more appealing. I was born at Glens Falls Hospital, was by my dad’s side as he navigated the health care system following a severe accident at work and even volunteered as a candy striper at the hospital throughout high school. In nursing school, I had the opportunity to shadow a neonatal nurse practitioner and...

How Can Nurses Elevate the Profession?

Aug 28, 2020

We as nurses want to see our profession thrive and be prepared for the future. We as individuals can take actions that will lead to advancements in nursing as a whole. These steps on their own may not seem like much, but the following can lead to long-term change and elevate the profession. Belong to Associations Attending chapter meetings not only helps nurses stay current with new issues and topics, it also helps with networking....

Embrace the growth of nurse practitioners to improve care

Aug 26, 2020

Primary care is the foundation of successful health care. It improves health outcomes and quality of life while increasing efficiency and lowering overall costs. The primary care workforce is changing rapidly, with more and more Pennsylvanians receiving primary care services from nurse practitioners (NPs). This is especially true in southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2015, the Joint State Government Commission warned that Pennsylvania faced a...

Despite pandemic and downpour, Maine nursing students continue centuries-old ceremony

Aug 24, 2020

GORHAM, Maine — The coronavirus pandemic shut down in-person learning last spring, but 40 students in the University of Southern Maine’s accelerated nursing program still received their diplomas on Friday. They picked up their degrees — and were “pinned” — in a drive-thru ceremony on campus, in front of the Costello Sports Complex. The tradition of conferring pins to nursing graduates goes back 150...

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