Thursday, December 10, 2020 |
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DR EPIC Newsletter
For Arizona SNFs: Emergency Preparedness Infection Control
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DR EPIC Website
Up and Running
Please take a moment to check out our EPIC website! It is designed to serve as a resource for you in your infection control efforts.
You will find a wealth of clinical and industrial hygiene resources as well as a library of EPIC educational videos.
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Learn More about Wellness Check Points in your Facility |
In this EPIC video, industrial hygiene EPIC expert consultant Derrick Denis offers insight into the complexity of establishing wellness check point stations in your facility. Some of these considerations include, staffing, egress, temperature tools and record keeping.
If you have further questions, contact the EPIC Helpline at 602-241-4644 or EPIC@azhca.org
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TIPS & FACT SHEETS for Your Use
Survey TIP TOPICS Address Infection Control
The EPIC clinical team has developed a series of “Top Ten Survey Deficiency Tip Sheets” related to infection control issues impacting state surveys. Check out this month’s TIP TOPIC on social distancing.
This guide will provide you with examples of deficiencies cited and corrective actions/best practices to follow, along with resources to further explore. Issues with social distancing have been cited in multiple DHS surveys.
There is clearly a surveyor focus on providing required distance between residents in common dining areas, especially on dementia units. Stay tuned for more TIP TOPICS related to state survey citations!
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Disposal of Contaminated Waste
Water, Water Everywhere, but not a Drop to Drink
Water incursion in all its iterations (rain water leaks, fire sprinkler water release, domestic supply failure, sewage backflow, etc.) is the most common environmental issue facing buildings.
If you are not up to snuff on water incursion, prevention and emergency response, you are putting your occupants, staff and facility at undue risk. Get some training, and assemble a team of inside and outside professionals you can call when a flood event occurs. Make plans for partial of complete flood evacuations and practice them.
For more on water incursion prevention and response, see our EPIC Fact Sheet on Category 3 Water, or reach out to the EPIC Helpline at 602-241-4644 or email EPIC@azhca.org.
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Be Aware of CMS Surveyor Guidance on Corona Virus and Infection Control
CMS routinely provides guidance, clarifications and instructions to State Survey Agencies and CMS Regional Offices and there have been several memos specifically relative to COVID-19.These memos represent official guidance for surveyors.
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FREE Infection Control Technical Assistance: Complete these Assessments
An important component of the DR EPIC program is to identify infection control protocols and gaps that may exist. We are asking skilled nursing facilities to complete two assessments that surveyors use; one for regular surveys and one for focused infection control surveys.
We then evaluate this information and Dr. Buffy Lloyd Krejci, our infection control consultant, will offer a personal conference call with your facility Director of Nursing and infection preventionist. This time with Dr. Buffy will do a deep dive into your practices and you will receive technical assistance as needed.
We will also be able to identify best practices that can be shared. If you have been contacted by members of the EPIC team, please complete the assessments that were sent and return them. If you haven’t been contacted and would like to participate, please contact Kay Huff at khuff@azhca.org.
This is a free service as part of the grant and can also help assure you will be prepared for the infection control portion of your next state survey.
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Meet Gil Damiani, DR EPIC Consultant |
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Gil Damiani is a retired Assistant Fire Chief from the City of Mesa (AZ), where he spent more than 30 years. He served in multiple capacities including the fire department’s Public Information Officer, Assistant Chief of Operations, Assistant Chief of Training and Emergency Medical Services, as well as the last five years of his career as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Mesa.
Gil has been working with the Arizona Health Care Association since December of 2016 as a Disaster Ready consultant. He is currently a State Certified Adjunct Instructor for the Arizona Department of Emergency Management teaching courses on the Incident Command System across Arizona.
As a consultant to the Disaster Ready EPIC Program, Gil provides leadership and technical assistance in emergency preparedness. Also, you can email any emergency preparedness or infection control questions to the DR EPIC online Help Center at EPIC@azhca.org.
You can also call the DR EPIC phone Helpline at 602-241-4644 and we will assist you.
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DR EPIC Helpline
Question of the Week
If a patient in Maricopa County is in the general population unit of a healthcare center and tests positive for COVID should the patient be wearing full PPE when transferred from the general population to the COVID unit?
ANSWER:
The Maricopa County guidelines for residents who develop COVID-19 in the facility include: Encourage residents to remain in their room and restrict movement except for medically necessary purposes. If residents leave their room, residents should wear a surgical facemask, perform hand hygiene, limit their movement in the facility, and perform social distancing (stay at least 6 feet away from others).”
So, YES, at minimum a surgical facemask should be worn by the resident/patient.
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Response provided Kay Huff, RN
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Check out our DR EPIC Helpline!
To submit questions, email the DR EPIC online Help Center at EPIC@azhca.org. You can also call the DR EPIC phone Helpline at 602-241-4644 and we will assist you.
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Questions? Contact EPIC@azhca.org |This program is funded by ADHS HPP
The Disaster Ready Emergency Preparedness Infection Control (DR EPIC) program provides education and technical assistance for skilled nursing providers throughout the state. Individual providers will need to exercise their independent discretion in how to apply this information and technical assistance to the unique operation of each facility. For that reason, a facility’s of its professional judgment and due diligence in utilizing the program for infection control and risk management practices is solely within the facility’s control for which it is entirely responsible.
Copyright 2020.
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