Coronavirus Update #173
Abbott BinaxNOW Training Registration Links
Abbott BinaxNOW Training Registration Links

Abbott will be holding two educational webinars this week in support of their BinaxNOW COVID-19 tests. These webinars are designed to reinforce the Training Toolkit and highlight key points that should be kept in mind during BinaxNOW COVID-19 and NAVICA implementation. To register for either training, please use the links below. 
 
Wednesday October 7
4:00 EST – 5:00 EST
 
Friday October 9
4:00 EST – 5:00 EST
 
For additional training videos and documents, please visit the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card and NAVICA™ App Set-Up and Training portal.  

Additional Reminders
Provider Relief Funding Phase 3 Application Instructions

As we previously shared, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a new opportunity for providers to seek funding through the HHS Provider Relief Fund. HHS will be accepting applications from October 5, 2020 through November 6, 2020.

Click here to read more background from our partners at AHCA/NCAL.

Apply for funding:


  • Applicants who submit by Friday, November 6, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET will be considered for funding.

  • Providers are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible to expedite the calculation and distribution of payments. Providers should apply if they have lost revenues and/or increased expenses attributable to COVID-19 that have not been reimbursed by other sources.

  • Required documentation:

  • Most recent federal income tax return for 2017, 2018, or 2019, unless exempt


  • Operating revenues and expenses from patient care

Note: Providers will need to submit a new application, even if they previously submitted revenue details for a prior PRF distribution; the application has been updated to include some additional data entries in order to calculate payment based on financial impact of COVID-19.
AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network

Supported by the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Project ECHO is virtually bringing together small groups of peers and experts in long-term and post-acute care to learn about the most current best practices to tackle pressing COVID-19 related problems.

The Network will work with nursing home staff and administrators from across the country. All participants will be encouraged to share best practices and learn from their peers while benefiting from the guidance of experts on nursing homes and quality improvement. The Network is open to any nursing home in the country at no cost.

Click here for a flyer announcing a series of brief 30 minute sessions designed to provide nursing home staff with a 15 minute update on infection control best practices, 10 minute introduction to the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network, and 5 minutes for questions from participants. These sessions are designed to give participants an introduction to what the Network will be like and encourage participation of skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers.

Please be on the lookout for additional information on the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network and sign up to share and learn best practices.
Pay For Performance Changes

The 2019 Joint Chairmen's Report (JCR) requested the Maryland Department of Health to submit a plan to make the following modifications to its P4P program:

  • Increase the size of the total award from 0.5 percent to 1.0 percent of the total nursing facility provider reimbursement;
  • Refocus the program on reportable resident outcomes; and
  • Include incentives and disincentives.

In order to address the requirements of the JCR, MDH convened a workgroup (which included HFAM, providers, and other stakeholders) to review and recommend updates to the P4P model. The workgroup focused on each of the quality measures as well as on the calculation of the total award and the distribution of the award. As a result of the workgroup's review and recommendations, the Department has made modifications to the P4P model.


Indoor Visitation Explainer for Families

Along with our partners at LeadingAge Maryland and Lifespan, we wanted to share this quick guide to help families understand the full scope of what “indoor visitation” resuming really means. Please feel free to share this document with your teams, families, and communities.
Reminder on New Orders from MDH

As we shared last week, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) has released updated orders on health care matters, nursing home matters, assisted living matters, and guidance on visitation and point of care testing. While there is still much to review in greater detail, these are very positive steps forward with much work by many behind the scenes. Governor Hogan’s announcements last week and these new initiatives are deeply appreciated and are to be applauded. Please click the links below to view the updated orders and guidance, as well as our August 17 letter on testing recommendation:





Reminder on MD Think Updates

As we shared earlier this week, a new MD Think update is scheduled for release on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. There will be a weekly training hosted by the MD Think team every Thursday from 1:00 - 3:00 PM. Click here for a memo from MDH with more details on the changes and training.


Decommission of the Office of Long Term Care Dedicated Email Account: Beginning Tuesday, December 1, 2020, DHS will decommission the Office of Long Term Care ([email protected]) dedicated email account that some facilities use to submit applications, redeterminations or documentation. Click here for the memo from MDH for more information.
Did you miss HFAM's previous alerts?

Visit our website to view all previous HFAM alerts, as well as guidance
from our federal and state partners.
Thank you.

We cannot thank you enough for the dedication and diligence in doing all that you can for the residents in your communities. HFAM continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic with our state and national partners and will do all we can to support you during this time.