Coronavirus Update #177
Updated Clinical Guidance on POC Testing, Voting Guide & Deadlines,
Nursing Assistant Letter, Reminders
Clinician Letter on Updated Clinical Guidance for Point of Care Testing

Yesterday, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) released updated guidance for physicians across the State. Please click the links below to review the guidance in detail:
2020 Voting Guide
The 2020 General Election is Tuesday, November 3. Make sure that residents, patients, and staff are prepared to vote. Check out this voting guide for deadlines and information on voting.

Upcoming Deadlines:
  • Miss the deadline to register? You can register to vote at your local early voting center during early voting or at a vote center on election day. Find the links to the lists of vote centers here. (Be sure to bring a document that proves where you live.)
  • Vote by mail requests must be received by Tuesday, October 20 (next Tuesday).
  • Ballots must be postmarked or hand delivered by Tuesday, November 3.
Nursing Assistant Training Letter

Today, HFAM sent a letter to the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) to address and make recommendations regarding the current backlog of testing available for nursing assistants. Click here for the letter.

Background: In order to work as a GNA in a Maryland skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, graduates of nurse aide training programs must be testing through Pearson Vue to receive GNA certification. While there has historically been an emphasis on in-facility nurse aide State testing sites for students to receive their GNA certification, providers may not be able to conduct the full capacity of in-facility testing with the COVID-19 guidelines.

Especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is absolutely critical to ensure that skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers are adequately staffed with GNAs. We continue to work to find solutions to mitigate the backlog of testing available for nursing assistants and make sure that students are able to receive timely GNA certification so that they will continue their careers in skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers across Maryland.
Reminder: AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network

Supported by the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Project ECHO is virtually bringing together small groups of peers and experts in long-term and post-acute care to learn about the most current best practices to tackle pressing COVID-19 related problems. Huge thanks to Dr. David Gifford and the team at AHCA/NCAL for leading this national project.

The Network will work with nursing home staff and administrators from across the country. All participants will be encouraged to share best practices and learn from their peers while benefiting from the guidance of experts on nursing homes and quality improvement. The Network is open to any nursing home in the country at no cost.

To learn more, please review the documents below:
Healthcare Heroes Highlight Video

Check out and share our new highlight video from the Healthcare Heroes event that took place on September 3. Thanks again for all the wonderful nominations and be on the lookout for more ways to continue celebrating our healthcare heroes. We appreciate all that you and your teams continue to do!
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.