> The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will not propose changes to Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act regulations, which require hospitals to make a good faith effort to stabilize emergency patients, AHA News Now reported. Hospitals with specialized capabilities will have an additional 60 days to comment. News brief
> Faced with shrinking patient volume, UMass Memorial Health Care is eliminating up to 900 jobs, roughly 6 percent of workforce, The Boston Globe reported. UMass Memorial's operating gain was $35 million for the year that ended Sept. 30, down from a $55 million gain the previous year. Article
> The California Assembly passed a bill this week that would outlaw smoking on entire hospital campuses, the Los Angeles Times reported. Existing smoking bans are limited to buildings and areas adjacent to entrances. Article
> National Quality Forum's Measures Application Partnership yesterday sent the Department of Health & Human Services its final recommendations on more than 350 performance measures, including those for value-based purchasing and the hospital inpatient and outpatient quality reporting programs, AHA News Now reported. News brief
And Finally... What marriage really means. Announcement