Coronavirus Update #76
NHSN Reporting & CRISP Bed Capacity Report, Reminder on Governor Hogan's Executive Order, Upcoming Webinars and Calls, Healthcare Heroes
NHSN Reporting and CRISP Bed Capacity Report

On April 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) COVID-19 reporting module   for long term care facilities. Reporting to NHSN provides the timeliest data which will be informative and provide situational awareness at both state and national levels. The COVID-19 module is divided into 4 separate reporting pathways which include:

  • Resident impact and Facility Capacity
  • Staff and Personnel Impact
  • Supplies and Personal Protective Equipment
  • Ventilator Capacity and Supplies

CRISP is building this request into the current Bed Capacity Report. The report will be radically changed in the next day as CRISP incorporates the required information request into the Capacity Report so providers will only have to go to one location to comply with the Federal and State information requests. In addition, CRISP is working to develop a credentialing process for facilities to authorize personnel to submit the daily information.  

For your background, here are the forms and instructions for reporting to the NHSN:








New Executive Order from Governor Hogan

In a press conference yesterday, Governor Larry Hogan announced an executive order to mandate universal testing of all residents and staff in all Maryland nursing homes and other health care facilities, regardless of whether they have symptoms.

Nursing homes will be prioritized based on an imminent outbreak or rising threat of an outbreak. It will now be mandatory for all centers to fully comply and cooperate with strike teams deployed by the state. In addition, nursing homes must have a physician, nurse practitioner, physician's assistant, or registered nurse evaluate all residents on a daily basis.

With expanded testing, Governor Hogan acknowledged that it is expected to see a rise in positive cases among residents and staff. Centers are required to develop emergency surge staffing plans to ensure continuity of care in the event of an outbreak. To aid with this, the Governor also announced that strike teams would be supplemented with newly created bridge teams to provide emergency clinical staffing to centers that are experiencing crisis. Bridge teams are composed of a registered nurse and five to seven aides sufficient to care for up to 100 residents per shift. These team members are fully vetted and ready to be immediately deployed statewide; they are capable of providing 24-hour coverage.

The executive order also requires nursing home facilities to provide regular informational updates to residents, resident representatives, and staff.

During the press conference, Governor Hogan announced the appointment of Col. Eric Allely, the State Surgeon of the Maryland National Guard, to serve as an Emergency Safety and Compliance Officer for Maryland nursing homes. He will be charged with directing a multi-agency team to ensure compliance with state law.

Lastly, we applaud Governor Hogan for thanking healthcare heroes and we count nursing home employees among those heroes. We look forward to celebrating your work and sacrifices this Saturday on the newly proclaimed "Healthcare Heroes Day in Maryland."
CDC Webinar Trainings for LTCF COVID-19 Module: New Mandatory Reporting 

CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network has announced two upcoming webinar trainings for the new LTCF COVID-19 Module , which is expected to be a new requirement by CMS. The final rule from CMS on this requirement is still pending. However, CDC is making the module available to nursing homes now. 

The training webinars will be recorded and posted to the LTCF COVID-19 Module webpage with a PDF of the slide presentation. 
 
First Topic: COVID-19 Module Overview for Long-term Care Facilities 
Thursday, April 30, 2020
1:30-3:00 PM EDT
 
Second Topic: COVID-19 Enrollment Guidance for Long-term Care Facilities
Friday, May 1, 2020
1:30-3:00 PM EDT

Learn how to join these webinars on the CDC website .  If you have any questions, please email CDC at [email protected] and include LTCF COVID-19 in the subject line.
Webinar from John A. Hartford Foundation and Partners on Supporting Nursing Homes 

On Friday, May 1st from 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET, The John A. Hartford Foundation will be hosting a national webinar to discuss a new initiative to address the urgent issues facing nursing homes during the COVID-19 crisis. They are inviting all nursing home stakeholder organizations to participate and are seeking leaders on the front lines, such as nursing home administrators, medical directors, directors of nursing, and others to join.

 The webinar will feature:
  • Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President, The John A. Hartford Foundation
  • Shari Ling, MD, Acting CMS Chief Medical Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Invited)
  • Kedar Mate, MD, Chief Innovation Officer, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
  • Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, Senior Advisor, Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Adjunct Faculty, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls

CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.

Call details are below. Conference lines are limited so you are highly encouraged to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page HERE .

 
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern)
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
 
 
Thursday, April 30th at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; 
Access Passcode: 7476619
 

Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19 (Fridays at 12:30 – 2:00 PM Eastern)
Lessons from the Front Lines calls are a joint effort between CMS Administrator Seema Verma, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, and the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Physicians and other clinicians are invited to share their experience, ideas, strategies, and insights with one another related to their COVID-19 response. There is an opportunity to ask questions of presenters.

Friday, May 1st at 12:30 – 2:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 877-251-0301; 
Access Code: 9545128


Weekly COVID-19 Care Site-Specific Calls
CMS hosts weekly calls for certain types of organizations to provide targeted updates on the agency’s latest COVID-19 guidance. One to two leaders in the field also share best practices with their peers. There is an opportunity to ask questions of presenters if time allows.
 
Nurses (Thursdays at 3:00 PM Eastern)
Thursday, April 30th at 3:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; 
Access Passcode: 4268398
Healthcare Heroes - Thank You!
A few happy heroes outside Genesis Fairland to the left. thank you for loving what you do! We are truly grateful for all your hard work and dedication you provide to the residents and the staff.
At Solomons Nursing Center (above and below), staff is working diligently across all departments to do their part to keep our residents and staff safe and healthy. From the caring nursing department who are working extra hours, wearing PPE during direct care and monitoring for even the slightest change in status every shift, to the housekeeping staff who maintain a very clean environment and also have stepped up to help the nursing staff with tasks that may not require a licensed person to perform, such as helping pass out water or making beds. The Activities Department is amazing, as they connect residents and families via Skype or scheduled window visits or by playing hallway BINGO practicing social distancing while maintaining the best possible quality of life. The dietary staff, has been working hard to keep residents' nutrition in check, but also has taken on the feat of feeding staff members occasional meals throughout the week, as well. We are in awe at the support from community and families. Here are a few photos of "Healthcare Heroes" throughout the building.  
As churches are unable to come into skilled nursing centers, Genesis Severna Park is bringing church to residents! Chris and Mr. Bobby are having Bible study in the photo to the right. We are grateful for all team members who have gone far beyond the call of duty in providing care for residents.
Who are your healthcare heroes?

There are so many amazing stories of dedication, sacrifice, and compassion by long term care professionals who are going above and beyond to ensure the safety, health, and happiness of residents during this unprecedented time. These individuals are saving lives; they are heroes.

We want to hear your stories! Please email    [email protected]    to share a current story and picture of members of your team who are going above beyond to provide quality care during this unprecedented time. 
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.