Public Policy Updates

The Joint Commission (TJC) is no longer evaluating compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. While the standard will remain present in the current manual, surveyors have been advised not to evaluate for compliance. The database will be updated and be reflected in the next standards release later this year. Read The Joint Commission announcement.

NIOSH has honored a request by Honeywell International Inc. to voluntarily rescind its NIOSH respirator approval. As of June 29, 2023, any respirator marked with a NIOSH approval label with approval number TC-84A-9263 is no longer NIOSH approved. Respirators bearing this NIOSH approval number may no longer be used, manufactured, assembled, sold, or distributed. Read the NIOSH announcement.

As part of its efforts to improve nursing home safety, the White House is drafting regulations for minimum staffing requirements. However, we expect the plan to focus primarily on front-line nurse ratios but not on gaps in infection prevention and control. Please write to your Members of Congress and President Biden to encourage them to … Continued

Join the APIC Government Affairs team for some exciting programs at APIC 2023 Annual Conference & Exposition. See you in Orlando!

President Biden announced his intent to appoint Dr. Mandy Cohen as the new CDC Director following the departure of Dr. Rochelle Walensky. Dr. Cohen, an internal medicine physician, is currently the CEO of Aledade Care Solution. She previously led the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and served as Chief Operating Officer and … Continued

NIOSH will host a webinar to present the findings of a study to determine the efficacy of common hospital disinfectants on elastomeric half mask respirators (EHMR), assess and compare different disinfection methods, and determine best practices. The webinar will be on Tuesday, July 11 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET. Learn more.

The CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) group will host a webinar on “What Providers Need to Know about Zoonotic Influenza.” The webinar will be on Tuesday, June 20 at 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET. Free continuing education is available. Learn more and link to the webinar.

The declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) in 2020 enabled the federal government to implement the largest vaccination program in U.S. history, providing nearly 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines free of charge. Now that the PHE has expired, most Americans will be able to access the vaccines and COVID-19 treatments through their … Continued

APIC submitted comments to CMS on proposed regulations covering annual updates to payment and quality programs for acute care, long-term acute care, and cancer hospitals, as well as skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and inpatient psychiatric facilities. APIC comments included: Read APIC’s comments to CMS on the FY 2024 proposed rules for: