Federal agencies reinstated indoor mask mandates following CDC's update to its masking guidance, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia, Texas, and Utah.

• District of Columbia: The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Tuesday sent out a memo to federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and areas with high rates of coronavirus transmission instructing them to reinstate indoor mask mandates. CDC on Tuesday updated its masking guidance to say fully vaccinated individuals should be masked indoors in areas with "substantial" or "high" transmission. In addition, OMB said federal employees, contractors, and any visitors who are not fully vaccinated should be encouraged to continue social distancing while in federal facilities. Affected federal agencies were expected to implement the new mandates starting Wednesday. (Chalfant, The Hill, 7/28)

• Texas: Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest nonprofit hospital system in the state, announced on Wednesday that it would require its employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19 by October 1 unless they receive an exemption. The mandate applies to all employees, providers, contractors, volunteers, vendors, and students. The hospital system employs over 49,000 workers across more than 52 hospitals and 800 patient care sites. According to The Dallas Morning News, the hospital system joins around 70 others around the country in mandating Covid-19 vaccines for employees after Houston Methodist first did so in April. (Williams, The Hill, 7/28)

• Utah: Gunnison Valley Hospital has appointed Brenda Bartholomew as CEO, replacing retiring CEO, Mark Dalley. Bartholomew has worked for the hospital for 27 years and served as its CNO for the past 24 years. In addition, last year she received the Covid-19 Preparedness and Response Award from the Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health. (Mitchell, Becker's Hospital Review, 7/26)