A new CDC study found that 7 out of 10 U.S. hospital workers had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of Sept. 15, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from California, the District of Columbia, and Georgia.
- California: Eisenhower Health on Wednesday appointed Ken Wheat EVP and COO of the health system. Since 2013, Wheat has served as Eisenhower's SVP and CFO. During his time as CFO, Wheat was named as a "CFO to Know" in 2019 by Becker's Hospital Review. "It's been a pleasure working with Ken over the last eight years as he has been instrumental in the growth and development of the health system," said Martin Massiello, the health system's president and CEO. (Jensik, Becker's Hospital Review, 11/18)
- District of Columbia: America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has named David Holmberg, president and CEO of HighMark Health, as its board chair. Holmberg will assume his role on Jan. 1, 2022, after president and CEO of Humana Bruce Broussard's departure. According to Holmberg, "Americans are clear: They are looking for collaboration across health care for better experiences, better outcomes, and lower costs." He added, "AHIP is committed to solutions that increase value, improve equity, and result in better overall health. I am looking forward to engaging as Board Chair as we look ahead to 2022." (Lagasse, Healthcare Finance News, 11/18)
- Georgia: CDC on Wednesday released a new study in the American Journal of Infection Control that determined 70% of all hospital staff in the United States were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of Sept. 15. For the study, the agency analyzed data from voluntary reports of employee vaccination rates sent by over 2,000 facilities to HHS. According to the findings, workers in children's hospitals had the highest rate of any type of facility—with a 77% vaccination rate. In addition, vaccination rates were higher among metropolitan hospitals than rural hospitals—with 71% and 65.1% vaccination rates respectively. (Gillespie, Modern Healthcare, 11/18)