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The emergence and rapid spread of the COVID-19 delta variant have led to a dramatic rise in hospitalizations across the United States. According to the CDC, delta is twice as contagious as previous variants and appears to cause more serious symptoms in unvaccinated patients. Rates of hospitalization are now similar to those seen prior to vaccination efforts.
In response, states like Texas are implementing a series of actions to mitigate rising COVID-19 rates, including seeking out-of-state medical professionals to support overwhelmed hospitals.

In December 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services launched Healthy People 2020, which set forth an annual target goal of 90 percent for influenza vaccinations among health care personnel (HCP) by 2020. Now we’re on the home stretch to hit that goal. With the 2019-2020 flu season upon us, it’s time to look for ways to make more significant strides towards the finish line.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is already significant flu activity in 24 states across the country and flu seasons often see spikes between December and February.

Physician burnout is real … and costly.
Aside from negative clinical outcomes, it’s costing the U.S. healthcare industry roughly $4.6 billion a year, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. At an organizational level, the annual cost associated with burnout is approximately $7,600 per employed physician each year.
One culprit to the burnout: paperwork.
Why is it Paperwork?
The study cites a mounting load of paperwork, in addition to bureaucratic demands,

The number of reported measles cases in the U.S. have reached their highest level since the disease was domestically eradicated in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Prevent Infection
CDC estimates that there are more than 1 billion visits to hospitals and physician offices each year. So, what can a healthcare facility do to protect patients and staff, given the volume of visitors and interactions? Requiring vaccinations for staff, vendors and volunteers is a good place to start.

When you walk down the hospital hallways, have you ever wondered about the people you pass? Do they work at this facility, are they contractors, do they represent a pharmaceutical company? How do you know they are who they say they are?
That’s where credentialing comes in. To provide the highest level of care, we must ensure the highest level of trust between the hospital and those who provide services and supplies at the hospital. When we credential hospital visitors,

How do you stop patient safety issues before they occur? Is there a proactive way to identify potential problems and avert them early? The answer is an astounding yes. There are several things that healthcare organizations can do from a compliance standpoint to improve patient safety, including:
Know Who’s in Your Facility
Many healthcare facilities today have subscribed to a third-party service to credential vendor representatives, which saves staff time and efforts. These facilities understand that it takes more than being on friendly terms with representatives to ensure they have fulfilled the necessary requirements.

Do you credential physicians? Clinical contractors? Vendors? Managing any credentialing program can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. It may require a great deal of investment in resources that are not available at every healthcare facility. However, being non-compliant is a risky business and could potentially cost your organization even more. IntelliCentric’s SEC³URE platform gives you all the advantages without the hassle!
Our cloud-based platform verifies and houses practitioners’ credentials as a portal, digital SEC³URE Ethos.

The new year is underway, and so is flu season. January witnessed sharp increases in flu cases throughout parts of the country. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. flu activity is elevated nationally with tens of thousands hospitalized so far. It remains important for health care facilities to track vaccination coverage among staff and meet infection control standards with proper immunization requirements.
Why do we measure vaccination rates?
HealthyPeople.gov has set forth an annual target goal of 90 percent for influenza vaccinations among health care professionals by 2020.