Coronavirus Update #142
HFAM Update, Testing and PPE Resources and Reminders,
AHCA/NCAL Updates & Convention
The HFAM team packing PPE for distribution to
Maryland nursing homes and assisted living campuses.
HFAM Update

Friends,

Thanks for all you are doing during this historic time as you and your teams provide quality care to Marylanders in need. You are saving lives. In order to continue your mission of quality care, now more than ever, we must ensure proper access to funding, PPE, and timely and actionable testing. All of these fronts will remain challenging, and we will remain vigilant and focused.

As we’ve reported earlier:

  • PPE supplies are better, but still challenging and rationed by wholesalers. We expect shortages of gloves in the coming weeks.

  • We continue to fight for and protect incremental state Medicaid funding that was approved pre-COVID, and to seek additional state Medicaid funding now in the COVID-19 new normal we face. We are very fortunate for the stopgap federal funding that has been enacted by Congress and signed by the President through our work with AHCA/NCAL.

  • Testing will remain challenging in terms of lab wait time, re-agent, logistics, and cost. Going forward we will continue to look for adaptive clinically driven testing regimes, like that being done in Massachusetts right now. In the near term we believe that the State of Maryland MUST continue coordinating and funding testing in our sector beyond their August 1, 2020 deadline (see our letter). If the State of Maryland stops coordinating and funding testing in Maryland Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Campuses as of August 1, they will be asking employers to choose between payroll and testing that is not actionable (commercial lab wait time is increasing, not decreasing).

Here is what we shared earlier on CMS POC Testing that was announced last week:

  • CMS plans to distribute 1500 of these machines to skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers (SNFs) in the next eight weeks (as you know there are about 15,000 SNFs in the US and 227 in Maryland).

  • Current hotspot states will take priority: Arizona, Florida, Texas, Nevada, maybe PA (not Maryland).

  • States with hotspots and low hospital capacity will be next (not Maryland).

  • Skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers will need CLIA Waivers to use these tests, I suspect near 100 percent of MD SNFs have these; 92 percent of SNFs nationwide have them. If a SNF is doing finger stick tests now, they have such a waiver, but it might need updating.

  • It will take several months for all states/centers (including Maryland) to receive these machines from CMS.

  • The machines will come with a limited number of test kits, say 400; additional test kits will need to be purchased by SNFs from manufacturers.

  • It is HIGHLY likely that SNFs will be able to bill Medicare for the testing, but at a lower rate because these are low throughput tests. AHCA/NCAL will send sector information on this.

NOTE:  These POC tests are thought to be 80-90 percent accurate versus 90-100 percent accurate in terms of the current Gold Standard PCR test. Related to this, commercial lab lag time is predicted to only increase in the coming weeks and months, it can range from 6-12 days now, which is not useful in preventing spread of the virus.  Putting in place the POC test with 15-minute feedback is a policy/public health trade-off—valuing immediate results and accepting potential high presumed negative results.

As always, here are our universal reminders:

  • Focus on providing quality care
  • Over communicate with residents, patients, families, and staff
  • Operate DRIVEN your infectious disease protocol (Observation +++)
  • TEST and keep accurate rosters
  • Take and document your action
  • Keep a timeline
  • Work with your hospital partners, and coordinate with local and state regulatory partners
  • Training - now is the time to be continuously training on PPE, Donning, Doffing and all things infectious disease protocol, workforce/workflow
  • Review this real-time case study

Be well,
Joe DeMattos
President and CEO
Testing Resources

AMS Onsite. Please see our  press release on HFAM Associate Member AMS Onsite for key messages on testing and workforce. For more information and contact information, click here.

First Call Medical Center.   Please contact Dr. Ron Elfenbein to discuss the testing process and figure out which option works best for your center. Dr. Elfenbein can be reached via email at  [email protected]  or via phone at 410-507-9698 (please leave a message if no answer).

Diamond Medical Labs, located in Owings Mills, has the capacity to do in-residence test collection for seniors during the COVID-19 outbreak so that they do not have to go out. In addition, Diamond Labs is now offering staff testing, as well as patient testing, with a 24 hours turnaround. Contact Andy Diamond at   [email protected] or   443-992-2782 if there is demand at your center or if you would like additional information.

Cian Diagnostics. Click here for more information.

The Maryland Department of Health Laboratory.    Click here    for more information.

MAXIMUS.   If you are interested in setting up a coronavirus testing program, please contact Leonard Lucchi [email protected]  or 410-280-2203.

Avellino. In March of this year, the FDA granted Avellino Lab USA, Inc. an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the AvellinoCoV2 molecular test. If you are looking to perform COVID-19 testing for your employees, staff, patients, or more, please read this message from Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Eric Bernabei. In addition, please see fact sheet one and fact sheet two.
PPE Resources
In our continuing efforts to assist providers with sourcing PPE supply, HFAM has identified several companies that are producing supplies and taking orders. These companies can be used to compliment orders from your existing vendors. Please contact the individuals directly regarding your needs to determine which company is a good fit for you.
MEDLINE

With the significant increase in demand for medical supplies resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry continues to experience shortages of certain products, particularly Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

To meet this demand, Medline has increased production of PPE, retrofitted manufacturing facilities to produce hand sanitizer and utilized air freight to accelerate PPE transit. They have also sourced and procured several new products through “spot buys” in order to mitigate the shortages on some traditional products.

Click here to learn more or f or additional information, questions, or product assistance, contact your Medline sales representative or call 1-800-Medline. We appreciate all the Medline is doing - they are a vital resource for us all!


LOWERS RISK GROUP

LowersRiskGroup has a wide variety of COVID-19 PPE products available including masks, respirators, gloves, goggles, thermometers, gowns, and rapid test kits. Click here to see the full catalogue of products.

LRG’s PPE Administrator:
Kim Trombly, LRG PPE Administrator
Office: 540.338.7151 x1186
Cell: 703-431-7978
Fax: 540.338.3131


GOWNS

1. Blue Gown Sample: Water Resistant / disposable.
2. White Gown Sample: Water Proof / washable.

If you are interested learning more or ordering gowns, please contact Robert Mishkin at 914-473-1150 or by email at [email protected] .



FACE SHIELDS

Sparx Protective Face Shield

Sparx Hockey, inventor of the revolutionary Sparx Skate Sharpener, has announced it will begin manufacturing protective face shields to assist the medical community in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.  The company expects to produce approximately 10,000-15,000 face shields a week and is currently taking orders via its website at  www.sparxhockey.com/safetygear .  The Sparx Protective Face Shield is intended for single use only and should only be used with medically approved masks.  Cost $59.00 for a pack of 10.


FACE MASKS
 
Eurotard Dancewear  has begun production of face masks. The factory closed its regular production due to the coronavirus and began production of PPE immediately. 

For more information on the reusable face mask, please   click here . Note that the pricing shown on the website is consumer retail pricing. Bulk orders for PPEs will be invoiced at wholesale pricing for your facility. 

Contact Jan Swan at 513-235-7019 or  [email protected]


FACE MASKS AND HAND SANITIZERS

Offering bulk pricing on Planet Earth Face Masks, that are ATSM Level 2 FDA Certified.

Offering bulk pricing on Greenerways Handsanitizer a 70% Alcohol based hand sanitizer to meet the demands of First Responders, Hospitals and Healthcare centers.  

Contact Scott Edwards, Innovative Marketing Services, phone 410-340-1113 or via email at    [email protected]


DISPOSABLE FACE SHIELDS

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has designed and licensed a manufacturer to produce    disposable face shields    in high volume. These face shields do not replace the need for face masks such as N95s but do offer splash protection and can extend the useful life of N95 respirators and surgical masks. 

Long term care facilities facing shortages of face masks and other PPE should continue efforts to obtain N95s and other PPE, even if they order the MIT face shields. The face shields cost $348.75 for a box of 125 ($2.79 each). Learn more and access their order form at  mitshield.com   .


ALL PPE

IronMark.  In an effort to support the thousands of healthcare, medical staff and essential business workers in protecting themselves in this critical time, IronMark has leveraged their existing manufacturer relationships to source and make available PPE supplies and gear. Ironmark is committed to making these much needed supplies available to you, to protect the teams of heroes on, and supporting, the front line.

Please contact Larry Davis for additional information on     Gowns,   Masks ,    Shields , and    Goggles. 


Hatch Exhibits in Elkridge, MD   is working with supply chain personnel at several local medical facilities in the Baltimore/Washington area as well as facilities in Michigan. Hatch is currently filling orders on a first-come, first-served basis for overnight or next day delivery. Please contact Tracy McCormick at    [email protected]    for additional information or to place an order.



Crooked Monkey has gloves, alcohol wipes, gowns, masks, and face shields available. Visit https://www.crookedmonkey.com/ to learn more. Or contact Micha Weinblatt at 202-540-0818 or [email protected]


CLEANING AND DISINFECTING COMPANIES

Gordon
410-739-4432


Josh Rafter
Cell: 410-458-6180


Jim Reynolds
410-589-5999
(or)
Kevin Holmboe
410-271-0268
HFAM cannot guarantee the availability of any supplies or equipment. These resources are provided as an addition to your current PPE suppliers. HFAM will not profit financially from sales made from these vendors.
Proper Use of PPE Reminder

We encourage you to review with your teams the appropriate way to apply and remove all PPE, including gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection. Performing observations yourself can be helpful to prepare staff for surveyor observation and to quickly correct any practices needing improvement.  Please see this new donning and doffing checklist.

CDC Updates Transmission Based Precautions, Duration of Isolation, and Return to Work Criteria 

On July 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted substantial changes to the  transmission-based precautions  ,  duration of isolation  and  return to work criteria . As the CDC continues to learn more about the COVID-19 virus, they continue to revise prior guidance.


Other COVID-19 Updates

  • NHSN Updates Instructions for Completing the Supplies and Personal Protective Equipment Pathway: Download the updated instructions and read more to find a summary from AHCA/NCAL. Read More

  • PPE Supplier List: Download AHCA/NCAL's updated resource to connect with vetted suppliers. 
Registration Is Now Open for the
AHCA/NCAL Virtual Convention!

October 8, 15, and 22

The past few months have been full of unprecedented challenges to the long term and post-acute care sector. That's why it's more important than ever that we gather for the 71st AHCA/NCAL Virtual Convention & Expo to review the past year, recognize the heroic work that you and your staff have done, and design solutions for what lies ahead.

Join your colleagues as we come together to reflect, share, and learn.
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.