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Any way you cut it, this has been a very tough few weeks in our country. We have witnessed a colorful tapestry of Americans voicing loud opposition to the systemic injustices and institutional racism. We’re also seeing centuries’ worth of wounds being opened and spilling into our streets — and tragically into our emergency departments — here in the greater Kansas City metro and in cities of every size coast-to-coast.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response shared resources for protecting community hospitals and providing care during civil unrest.

Eligible hospitals can apply through July 6 to participate in the Medicare Direct Contracting Model, which will offer two primary care payment options for hospitals beginning next April.

After losing 1.5 million jobs in April, the health care field added 312,000 jobs in May, increasing 2% to a seasonally adjusted 15.2 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The Food and Drug Administration released COVID-19 performance data for four more antibody test kits. The results come from the first collaboration between FDA, the National Institute of Health’s National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

The Department of Health and Human Services released guidance specifying what data laboratories must report to HHS along with their COVID-19 test results, the method for submission, and the data reporting and transmission requirements.

The AHA is sharing new case studies, leadership blogs and tools every day this week to mark Community Health Improvement Week.

The Food and Drug Administration this week released guidance for institutional review boards seeking clarity regarding the key factors and procedures they should consider when reviewing requests by physicians and others for individual patient access to investigational drugs.

Social distancing interventions started earlier in the COVID-19 epidemic appear to delay the epidemic curve while interventions started later appear to flatten it, according to a new study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently issued new guidance implementing the Medicaid Optional Uninsured COVID-19 Testing (XXIII) Group, established by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. 

The Senate approved by unanimous consent the AHA-supported Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (H.R. 7010) to allow more leeway for small business loans during the COVID-19 crisis.

June 5 is the fourth annual Hospitals Against Violence Hope (#HAVhope) Friday.

During Community Health Improvement Week, the AHA is sharing stories, resources, tools and leadership blogs that reflect on the importance of community and highlight strong hospital-community partnerships that are helping people live healthier lives.

The Food and Drug Administration recently created an online compendium page of COVID-19 resources for health care professionals.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of two new products designed to respond to the COVID-19 ventilator shortage.

U.S. hospital emergency department visits declined by an estimated 42% between March 29 and April 25 compared to a year ago, while visits for infectious disease screening or exposure were nearly four times higher, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

NATO issued a statement condemning “destabilising and malicious cyber activities directed against those whose work is critical to the response against the pandemic,” including hospitals, health care services and research institutes.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation today announced several COVID-19-related modifications to current and future CMMI alternative payment models.

The Department of Health and Human Services said it is providing an additional $250 million to aid health systems’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 3rd is the deadline for eligible health care providers to submit their revenue information to the Department of Health and Human Services to potentially qualify for an additional payment from the $50 billion general distribution of provider relief emergency funds.