COVID-19 vaccines were very effective at preventing serious illness and excess deaths in 2021, according to new data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The vaccines were also linked to considerable cost savings. 

Stamatia Destounis, MD, FACR, a radiologist and managing partner at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, New York, and chair of the ACR Breast Commission, discusses post-COVID-19 economic issues facing breast imaging centers, including staffing problems from the "Great Resignation" and lower reimbursements. 

"By imposing a 35%-42% cut, [CMS] has essentially created a scenario where it is going to destroy electrophysiology as a field," explained Dhanunjaya "DJ" Lakkireddy, MD.

The healthcare industry is facing a tight labor market forcing organizations to increase wages. However, filling vacancies is also taking longer, according to a recent report on the healthcare labor environment.

Two-year outcomes of a QFR-guided vessel and lesion selection strategy showed that the benefits of QFR guidance continued to accrue over time compared with standard angiography guidance in patients undergoing PCI.

Researchers involved in a new study said it is unclear whether the virus infection itself was a factor, or if it was environmental factors such as a move to remote learning or the shutdown of sports and school activities that may have caused the increased risk.
 

Read our review of some of the biggest FDA-related stories that have hit cardiology in the last month, including news from Viz.ai, Edwards Lifesciences, Abiomed and Medtronic. 

The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) have dropped their legal challenge to the interim final rule independent dispute resolution process of the No Surprises Act.