From addressing physician pay cuts to rising flu cases, here are five federal healthcare updates Becker's has reported on since Nov. 7:
1. HHS is partnering with some of the country's largest health systems on a national alliance to advance patient safety that will launch next year.
2. The Children's Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics are calling on federal officials to declare a national and public health emergency to free up resources and give hospitals more flexibility to respond to an "alarming surge of pediatric hospitalizations" from respiratory syncytial virus and flu.
3. The nation's flu positivity rate and hospitalizations continue to climb, with Southeastern and South-Central states reporting the highest levels of activity.
4. The Medical Group Management Association wrote a letter urging members of Congress to address the upcoming physician Medicare payment cuts.
5. Children's hospitals are asking Congress to act on policies to improve pediatric mental and physical health, bolster children's health coverage and support the pediatric healthcare workforce.