Here are five of the latest updates on COVID-19 that ASC leaders should know as of Jan. 4:

The American College of Surgeons and the Society for Vascular Surgery released updated standards for outpatient vascular centers to provide effective care for patients.

Hospitalizations in the U.S. for COVID-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus — collectively referred to as a "tripledemic" — are expected to peak at the end of January, according to the latest forecast from life science analytics company Airfinity. 

Six healthcare professionals joined Becker's to share what the ASC industry needs most, from training and retaining staff to technological upgrades and other necessities.

Back and neck pain are leading causes of disability in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), back pain in the United States is the leading cause of days off work, and the reason for more bed days than any other condition. In addition, back and neck pain are a costly problem; with a 2016 study estimating the annual cost of treatments for low back and neck pain cost at $134.4 billion.

Sixteen state attorneys general called upon a federal judge to block the federal vaccine mandate for healthcare workers Feb. 4.

Measures of ASC patient fall rates and hospital transfers decreased in the third quarter of 2021, according to an ASC Quality Collaboration report.

Surgeons who operate at multiple sites have higher 30-day readmission rates than those that only operate at one location, according to a Jan. 4 General Surgery News report.

CMS released the latest results from its Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program on Oct. 27, 2021.

On Nov. 26, the World Health Organization designated the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern and named it omicron, after the Greek letter.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the gaps in different populations' access to healthcare. The Joint Commission on July 14 released a safety advisory to address these inequities. 

Tracking quality through patient portals and analytics has given The Surgical Center at Columbia (Mo.) Orthopaedic Group the opportunity to reach new levels of patient satisfaction and keep infection rates low. 

Deerfield, Ill.-based Surgical Care Affiliates has chosen HOTB Software's compliance management platform, SCT|CoreCompli, to provide survey data management for its more than 220 ASCs.

The Joint Commission posted safety recommendations and warnings for ASCs in a May 19 blog post. 

The Leapfrog Group is creating an advisory committee for ASCs, according to a May 20 announcement.

Sweetgrass Pharmacy & Co. in Mount Pleasant, S.C., has a new location introducing services to the region, according to a Moultrie News report.

QuVa Pharma completed a $275 million financing round May 6.

The compounding pharmacies market is expected to grow in the next seven years, according to a ResearchAndMarkets.com report.

Federal agencies have released new hospital quality ratings, warnings, job reports and COVID-19 study information in the last few weeks.

Innovation in the field of Diagnostic imaging technology has continued to advance over recent years, and with this brings more solutions and services accessible to Clinicians that allow for Radiology Departments, Imaging Centers, and In-Office facilities to expand the range of tools used to diagnose and care for their patient population.