Friends:
Thank you for all you do to provide quality care to Marylanders in need and the quality jobs you provide in communities across Maryland. HFAM will continue to fight for you behind the scenes and in broad daylight to ensure continued access to quality care and advocate for the importance of skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers and assisted living communities.
- Earlier this week, it was my high honor to welcome attendees to the AHCA/NCAL 72 Annual National Conference. Last week, I had the privilege of welcoming sector leaders to our HFAM/MCAL Maryland Conference, including dozens of frontline healthcare heroes who work on your teams. Look, it’s nice to be on stage and to be in the spotlight to thank people – but honestly, the real joy for me comes in the hundreds of hands I was able to shake, the fist bumps, and the hugs I had with many of you and your heroes who attended the conferences. Even before the pandemic, during it, and after it, it’s your leadership and heroism that fuels our teams at AHCA/NCAL and HFAM to advocate for you and the sector.
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Please see this proposed reform plan to Maryland Medicaid eligibility and the Problem Resolution Unit that we’ve been working on privately with a few key members and the Maryland Department of Health. These developments are promising, and we will continue to press forward.
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ATTENTION ASSISTED LIVING PROVIDERS! The Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ) is seeking informal public comments as it continues to revise the assisted living regulations in COMAR 10.07.14. We are reviewing the changes and will engage in the process. We urge our members and the broader members of the sector to review the proposed changes and top over any feedback to HFAM and participate in the public informal comment process. Three more public meetings will be held to provide the opportunity for stakeholders to propose changes to the regulation. Specific sections of the regulation will be discussed at the first, second, and third meetings. The fourth meeting will include comments on all sections. These live on-line meetings are open to the public and are not being held in-person. You can pre-register via this AL registration form and view the draft of the proposed regulations that will serve as the starting point of these discussions.
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September 15, 2021, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., COMAR 10.07.14.00 - 10.07.14.21 (completed)
- October 19, 2021, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., COMAR 10.07.14.22 – 10.07.14.37
- November 16, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., COMAR 10.07.14.38 – 10.07.14.64
- December 16, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., all sections
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Monoclonal Antibody new EUA:
- Regeneron can be used for post-exposure prophylaxis for unvaccinated persons at high risk and for those who have been vaccinated but not expected to have mounted an adequate immune response, even with the vaccine.
- Regeneron may be administered subcutaneously when IV infusion is not available in a timely manner.
- Regeneron can be ordered directly through the supplier - AmerisourceBergen
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Here is a link to administration information: https://www.regencov.com/hcp/dosing/dosing-administration
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And, here is the link to the recent video with Dr. Katz, Dr. Haft, and Dr. Loome: https://youtu.be/jECXgAFH8wI
As Always:
- Focus on what is in your control and not what is out of your control.
- Overcommunicate – with residents, patients, families, staff, and government partners.
- Adapt and innovate.
- Rely on your partnerships.
- Speak up when you need help.
- Double efforts on infectious disease protocols, training, and operations.
- Take and document your action; keep a timeline.
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CLICK HERE for the Dr. Katz Video, and please see the Donning and Doffing Checklist we have been sharing.
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Joe DeMattos
President and CEO
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Maryland Department of Health:
Resource Guide for SNFs
Reminder: Additional Resources for the Third Dose COVID-19 Vaccine
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) created resource guides for SNFs that are looking for additional resources for the third dose COVID-19 shots. The resource guides are broken down by region, so please review carefully to find resources for your center.
Carroll, Howard, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, and Harford Counties
Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester Counties
Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert Counties
Garrett, Allegany, and Washington Counties
Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George's Counties
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Free Online or In-Person Infection Control Training Now Available!
The Maryland Department of Health Project Firstline learning management system (NextThought) is now available as a free service for all Maryland healthcare workers, including Environmental Services staff.
A total of seven CDC-prepared courses are available as self-guided modules. Materials for the introductory infection control course are also provided in a format for group training sessions with a facilitator. Additional content for group training sessions will be released in October 2021.
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Health Care Cybersecurity Symposium
November 8, 2021
3PM – 5PM ET
Virtual
Managing Risk Within the Health Care Supply Chain
Registration is free.
Join us as we reflect on the past and plan for the future! Hear from industry leaders locally and nationally as they share perspectives on the changing cybersecurity landscape, supply chain vulnerabilities, and strategic matters, technical and cultural, including best practices for securing the health care supply chain.
Presentations will highlight the need to secure protected health information more than ever with the increasing use of telehealth, web-connected medical devices, and other third-parties, including impacts and lessons learned from the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Questions
Contact Eva Lenoir
410-764-337
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Building a Culture of Safety in Long-Term Care
VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL EVENT
December 3, 2021 | 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
This educational activity has been approved for 3.25 total
participant hours for Long Term Care Administrators.
OVERVIEW
This virtual half-day program will provide participants with a foundational program on how to build a culture of safety for long-term care. This program will provide participants with strategies to engage their staff in a culture of change and provide tools to build a strong safety culture in their organization. Participants will come away with ideas to implement the following week.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
Identify basic tools for building a safety culture
Describe the importance of measurement, feedback, and
education for performance improvement
List strategies to include the patient and family in safety
and quality improvement initiatives
Identify at least three strategies to employ for
improvement change in their organization
Registration:
MPSC Members: $30
Non-Members: $50
Learn more at:
Questions?
410.540.9210
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Did you miss an update?
Visit our website to view all previous HFAM alerts, as well as guidance
from our federal and state partners.
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