August 25, 2020
COVID-19 Saliva Test Now Being Used for Wider Testing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently authorized the emergency use of "SalivaDirect", a new, inexpensive saliva test for COVID-19 testing. The test, which is much less invasive than the nasal swabs, has shown to yield similar test results. Unlike the nasal swab test, which requires labs to use chemical reagents (causing a national shortage), labs are able to run approximately 90 samples in less than 3 hours.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement, “Providing this type of flexibility for processing saliva samples to test for COVID-19 infection is groundbreaking in terms of efficiency and avoiding shortages of crucial test components like reagents.”

Up to this point, testing has been a very expensive endeavor, both for facilities and for the individual. With the new SalivaDirect option, testing for the disease will become cheaper and easier to access. Read the full statement from the FDA here. Questions? 1-888-INFO-FDA
Social Determinants of Health Reminder
In a past issue, we introduced our Social Determinants of Health program and want to continue to remind you of this crucial program. If you find that one of our patients is struggling with issues such as medication, transportation, and eviction notices, please reach out to our team so that we might help. Note: this program is not available to patients on service with Hospice.

For more information or to reach our SDOH team, please send referrals here: SWHRCareManagement@SouthwesternHealth.org
Coronavirus Hotline


As part of SWHR’s continued commitment to helping our providers with COVID-19 resources for our patients, we invite you to share the Texas Health Coronavirus Patient Hotline with your staff and patients. The hotline is staffed by nurses and available Monday-Friday, 7 a.m-7 p.m, to help answer patient questions about COVID-19 and healthcare during the pandemic.

THR Coronavirus Patient Hotline:
682-236-7601

For a full list of downloadable COVID-19 flyers and useful websites, visit our dedicated website:
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls - Today

CMS hosts recurring stakeholder engagement calls to share information to the healthcare community related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. Conference lines are limited so it is highly encouraged that providers join via audio webcast, which is compatible with either a computer or smartphone web browser.

The call for Home Health and Hospice occur twice a month on Tuesdays, starting at 2 pm Central Daylight Time (3 pm Eastern). The next call is today, August 25th. Check here for future calls.

Toll Free Attendance Dial-In:
833-614-0820
Access Passcode: 5097566

To listen to previous recordings and transcripts, visit the CMS podcast page.
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Mike Beaty, Network Engagement Specialist

Barbara Gardetto, Supervisor of Home Health UM and DME Team
817-614-8105 | Barbara.gardetto@southwesternhealth.org
Southwestern Health Resources | www.southwesternhealth.com