Coronavirus Update #61

Johns Hopkins A Woman's Journey, Hilton Rooms, CDC Updated Guidelines for Returning to Work, MHA Temp Staffing Program, Safety Videos

Johns Hopkins Medicine’s A Woman's Journey is holding a special COVID-19 update via Zoom on April 21 at 7:00 PM.

Epidemiologist and internist Lisa Maragakis offers updates on COVID-19, what we have learned about the virus, how it invades a patients lungs, short and long-term impact on other organs, the potential of new treatments and a vaccine, and the threat of return.

Learn more about A Woman's Journey.

Hilton’s Rooms Donation Program to Frontline Medical Workers

Hilton and American Express have partnered to donate up to one million free hotel nights to the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) and other frontline medical professionals, so you can have a safe and welcoming place to stay as you support those impacted by COVID-19. 

Bookings can be made for up to 7 consecutive nights at a time and are currently open through May 9th. The program will run through May 31st with rooms being added through the end of May on a rolling basis, subject to availability. 

To search available hotels and book, log in on AHCA/NCAL’s website, and go to www.ahcancal.org/Hilton-Partnership to find a link to the program. Hilton has required that participating associations limit the offer to members to help ensure that the offer gets to who it was intended to reach – frontline health care workers treating COVID-19. 

Having trouble logging into the website? Go to the AHCA/NCAL Member Dashboard for assistance .

CDC Updated Criteria for Return to Work

On April 13, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new interim guidance on return to work criteria for healthcare personnel (HCP) with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Centers are to use the test-based strategy as the preferred method for determining when HCP may return to work. If test-based strategy cannot be used, the non-test-based strategy may be used for determining when HCP may return to work. HCP with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms should be excluded from work until 10 days have passed since the first date of their positive COVID-19 diagnostic test, assuming they have not subsequently developed symptoms since their positive test.

MHA Temporary Staffing Program

The Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) has expanded their temporary staffing program, Chesapeake Registry Program (CRP) during the COVID-19 outbreak to vet and recruit new groups, including nursing, medical, and respiratory tech students; clinicians not practicing in Maryland hospitals; and those signed up for the Maryland Responds and Medical Reserve Corps.

Hospitals that already use CRP and those that do not, including post-acute providers, can quickly contract with MHA and CRP to access:

If you’d like to access the new resource, please contact [email protected] and MHA will send a short-term, simplified contract to you to review and sign. Once the contract has been returned, MHA will quickly load your facility into the system and meet your needs. To request assistance for filling more than 10 positions, send a surge staffing request to MHA at [email protected]. An intake team is ready to begin taking requests. Working with the state, MHA has developed a list of COVID-19 top positions and COVID-19 specific rates, which are included here.

"Tidbits of Safety" Videos



Sorensen, Wilder & Associates has begun producing videos to address current safety and security challenges that providers are facing. The first video deals with concerns about family members growing frustrated with the “No Visitation” status and taking that frustration out on the staff. The below video is an informal, unscripted discussion regarding Aggression Management

MDH Recorded Webinar for LTC

Yesterday, the Maryland Department of Health held a webinar call to update the long-term care sector on COVID-19 developments and best practices. The call was recorded, in case you were unable to join or would like to review the topics discussed, which included:

You can view the recorded webinar here.

You can also view the webinar's  PowerPoint presentation here.

If you have any questions, please email  [email protected] .

Additional Resources and Guidance

AHCA/NCAL

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Maryland Department of Health

Mental Health Association of Maryland

AMDA Guidance

AARP