CMS issues proposed rule change regarding antibiotic stewardship programs
Yesterday, CMS released a proposed rule change to its Conditions of Participation which, among other changes, would require hospitals to implement antibiotic stewardship programs in order to participate in Medicare and Medicaid. In addition to requiring a hospital-wide infection prevention and control program and antibiotic stewardship program, the proposed rule change would require hospitals to appoint designated, qualified leaders for those programs. Studies have shown stewardship programs may lower the use of antibiotics by almost 20 percent and have linked such programs to a drop in infection rates. Unrelated to antibiotic stewardship or infection control, the proposed rule change would also require hospitals to establish a policy prohibiting discrimination on the base of race, color, religion, national origin, sex and gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability to participate in Medicare and Medicaid. CMS is accepting comments on the proposed rule through August 15. To read the proposed rule, visit www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2016-Fact-sheets-items/2016-06-13.html.
Judge denies FTC request to block Advocate / NorthShore merger
An Illinois federal judge denied the FTC’s request to block the merger of Advocate Health Care (Downers Grove, IL) and NorthShore University HealthSystem (Evanston, IL). The District Court Judge said the government did not provide enough evidence that the partnership would harm competition in the region. The FTC is currently considering its options in the case and could appeal the judge’s decision regarding the Advocate-NorthShore merger. The decision to deny the FTC’s request to block the Advocate-NorthShore merger is the second recent loss for the FTC. At the end of May, a Pennsylvania judge denied the FTC’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt the merger of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and PinnacleHealth System. The judge found that the government failed to meet its burden to show it was likely to ultimately succeed on the merits of its antitrust claim. The FTC is appealing that decision.
American Medical Association names Andrew Gurman as new president
The American Medical Association (AMA) named Andrew W. Gurman as the organization’s 171st president. Gurman, an orthopedic hand surgeon from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, will focus his tenure on advancing the AMA’s three strategic focus areas: improving health outcomes for Americans living with pre-diabetes and hypertension; accelerating change in medical education and preparing students for today’s healthcare system; and enhancing physician satisfaction and practice sustainability. Gurman served as AMA president-elect this past year and previously served as speaker and vice speaker of the House of Delegates, the AMA’s major policy-making body, for eight years. He has served as board liaison to the AMA Foundation and represented the AMA at the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Stakeholders Group on Opioid Prescribing and Dispensing.
NYC budget includes $700M boost for New York Health + Hospitals
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city council agreed on an $82.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2017. The biggest new spending item in the budget is a $700 million funding boost for the city’s public hospital system, New York Health + Hospitals. The 11-hospital IDN has struggled financially in recent years for many reasons, including cuts in federal aid to hospitals that care for uninsured patients. The funding boost included in the budget represents a planned 53 percent spending increase on New York Health + Hospitals from 2014 through 2020.