U.S. federal agency is probing hospitals with high rate of Covid outbreaks

CMS turning attention to hospitals with Covid outbreaks The nation’s hospital regulator is probing hospitals where patients were likely infected with Covid after a record spike in transmission this year. POLITICO

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is probing hospitals where a high rate of patients have gotten Covid-19 infections after cases spiked to record highs this year.

Jon Blum, the agency’s principal deputy administrator and chief operating officer, told POLITICO on Wednesday that the regulator is focusing on facilities with Covid outbreaks, taking into account patient and health workers’ safety complaints, a change from the agency’s “less rigorous” process early in the pandemic.

“We are holding the health system accountable,” he said of the agency’s inspection process for hospitals, which relaunched about a year ago and has increased its oversight. “We do not see ourselves as simply putting out rules and hoping the health care system responds to those rules.” ...