COVID-19 News, Reports,
Reflections, and Resources
April 28, 2020
News:
While decidedly more optimistic, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he's remaining cautious about lifting stay-at-home orders.
D'Ann Lawrence White,
Patch
Staff, April 27, 2020
CMS Reevaluates Accelerated Payment Program and Suspends Advance Payment Program
CMS announced that it is reevaluating the amounts that will be paid under its Accelerated Payment Program and suspending its Advance Payment Program to Part B suppliers effective immediately. The agency made this announcement following the successful payment of over $100 billion to healthcare providers and suppliers through these programs. CMS had expanded these temporary loan programs to ensure providers and suppliers had the resources needed to combat the beginning stages of the COVID-19. Funding will continue to be available to hospitals and other healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response primarily from the
Provider Relief Fund. View the official
Press Release.
CMS, April 27, 2020
Additional Funding Available!
On April 24
th
, President Trump, along with the House and Senate, passed a bill providing additional funding for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will only be available to organizations who were not previously approved for the stimulus package.
Consult
with your financial advisor/banking institution to ensure timely application submission.
For more information click here
Blue Ange
ls to honor first responders with a Tampa flyover on May 2
It is part of a multi-city “America Strong” effort between the United States Navy and Air Force that will “recognize healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a press release issued by the
United States Department of Defense on April 24.
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Reports:
Florida's COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard
Florida Department of Health, Division of Disease Control and Health Protection has created a
website that reports the total COVID cases in our state, which can be pared down by county and/or by zip code. USA and global stats are also listed.
SBA District and Regional Office Webinars on Disaster Assistance
SBA district and regional offices are offering webinars about Economic Injury Disaster Loans. These webinars explain SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and how you can apply for disaster assistance.
Sign up for SBA newsletters using your zip code to get updates and find webinars
here.
CMS Open Door Forums
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sponsors regularly scheduled “Open Door Forums" providing an opportunity for live dialogue between CMS and the stakeholder community at large. These forums are intended for all stakeholders who interact with CMS or work with consumers who rely on services that CMS provides. They provide an opportunity for CMS to share current information about new initiatives and policies related to Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and the new Affordable Care Act benefits, and allow participants to ask questions for further clarification. The ultimate goal of these Open Door Forums is to foster strong collaboration and communication between CMS and a diverse spectrum of stakeholders. To be notified when Open Door Forums are scheduled or when new information is posted to the website, you can subscribe
using this link. To listen to previous forums,
click here.
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and healthcare systems to:
- Increase Hospital Capacity – CMS Hospitals Without Walls;
- Rapidly Expand the Healthcare Workforce;
- Put Patients Over Paperwork; and
- Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare
This week’s Office Hours:
Tuesday, April 28th, 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820;
Access Passcode: 5787874
Thursday, April 30th, 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820;
Access Passcode: 7476619
Beware - Phishing emails disguised as DOH
The Florida Department of Health has been alerted to phishing emails sent to health care licensees reporting to be a license update and bearing the Department’s logo. Clicking on links from this email will prompt you to enter credentials that malicious actors may use to access your account and maybe also used for an attack known as credential stuffing, where attempts are made to access other accounts using the same or similar password patterns.
Read the full warning here.
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Reflections:
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources During COVID-19
As our community adapts to changes influenced by the COVID-19 outbreak, Frameworks of Tampa Bay is dedicated to helping our students, our teachers, and parents manage the many emotions experienced through the lens of SEL. Frameworks will be distributing a weekly SEL Community Newsletter that will detail tips and strategies to provide support through this “new normal.”
Frameworks has a compiled list of free activities and resources for students, families, and educators as they navigate the impact of COVID-19
FierceHealthcare
spoke with Farzad Mostashari, M.D
.
, a physician, entrepreneur, and former infectious disease epidemiologist, about the current health crisis, how it's impacting physician practices and the Trump administration's recent guidelines to reopen the country.
A physician exec was trying to secure PPE for his hospital. Then the feds showed up...
As Andrew Artenstein, M.D., put it, the adventure of securing adequate protective equipment at Baystate Health would have made for an entertaining tale at a cocktail party. That is, it would have been entertaining had the mission not been so critical, the chief physician officer wrote in a letter published recently in
The New England Journal of Medicine.
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ADDITIONAL HCMA RESOURCES:
Complimentary Webinars from the Florida Healthcare Law Firm
Beginning Wednesday, May 6th, the Florida Healthcare Law Firm (FHCLF) will be offering weekly webinars. Register by clicking the link after the webinars that interest you:
May 6, 2020, noon-1pm
Telemedicine During COVID-19: From Basics to Potential Pitfalls
May 13, 2020, noon-1pm
Managing HR During COVID-19:
From Furlough to Layoff and a Return to Work
May 20, 2020, noon-1pm
Virtual Practices: Turning Challenges into Opportunities
May 27, 2020, noon-1pm
Maximizing COVID-19 Government Support Dollars
The FHCLF has also made available to members a COVID-19 Risk Management Checklist, Healthcare Professionals Preparedness checklist for transport and arrival of confirmed and possible COVID patients, & OSHA Guidance/COVID-19 as well as a Telehealth/Telemedicine Fact Sheet. For a copy of these lists
click here.
Best Practices Guide to Telemedicine from ProAssurance
Telemedicine includes interactive video, home monitoring devices, scanning and emailing photos, and a myriad of other ways physicians and patients can communicate without in-person interactions. The use of these medical technologies is rapidly expanding in a variety of medical specialties. But while telemedicine brings the benefits of increased real-time data and access to healthcare, it also brings new risks and legal considerations. ProAssurance explores the practice of telemedicine from the underwriting, claims, and risk management perspective.
Click here.
HCMA Virtual Town Hall Meeting for members will be scheduled soon. Watch your email for information!
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DOH call center, available 24/7
1 (866) 779-6121
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