COVID-19 UPDATE #237
April 1, 2022
DEAR ADMINISTRATOR LETTERS ANNOUNCE ADMISSION INCENTIVES EXTENSION FOR AL AND SNF
A Dear Administrator letter amended March 31, 2022, to assisted living and to skilled nursing providers announces that DSHS, Home and Community Services (HCS) Division, received approval to extend the incentives to assisted living and skilled nursing centers that accept new resident admissions from acute hospitals through June 30, 2022. The criteria for admissions remains the same; the only change to the admission incentive program is the extended date.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO DISCONTINUE FREE FIT TESTING IN LTC
The Department of Health has ended its respirator fit testing program as of Decembera31, 2021. However, if you have already requested fit testing in 2021 and have not yet heard back from a fit test vendor, please email HAI-FitTest@doh.wa.gov to get more information. Do not delay reaching out, the Fit Test Project will end on June 30, 2022. For more information about Respiratory Protection in LTC, please visit the DOH website. 
COMAGINE TRAINING AND INFORMATION REGARDING NHSN REPORTING FOR SNFs
Comagine provided training regarding NHSN reporting for skilled nursing facilities. The slides from the training can be accessed here. Below is a summary of this new feature, pros and cons, and clarification about other areas related to reporting.

General Reporting Clarification:
  • Facilities now only need to report healthcare personnel (HCP) who work on a regular basis (at least one day a week). For example, if a medical director or other HCP works 1 day a month, they do not need to be included in the weekly count for the week they provided services. This will help to alleviate the back and forth with tracking traveling staff in NHSN who work once in a while. However, it is still the responsibility of the facility to track vaccination status for all HCP’s that provide services. NOTE: Many use just one spreadsheet to track so they may still include traveler staff in their counts.
  • NHSN voiced that they are aware of the issue many facilities are having with being unable to log into NHSN to report. They are working as quickly as possible to resolve the issue. If you have this difficulty, submit a ticket to NHSN regarding the problem. Maintain all documentation and evidence of your data, ticket submission, and work done to resolve this issue. This documentation will be important if a facility receives a citation and needs to IDR and challenge the citation and any subsequent enforcement action.

Overview of the New NHSN Event-Level COVID-19 Vaccination Form:
The new tracking sheet is optional to complete and available for use as of this week and is intended for users to tracking their resident and HCP vaccination data (similar to the previously downloaded version of the Data Tracking Sheets) with the exception that this version is accessed directly in NHSN and feeds into the reporting form when it has been saved rather than users reporting the data manually after tracking it. The current Data Tracking Worksheets that facilities have been using will be removed from the website in May 2022.
 
Tracking: When residents or HCP leave and return within 2 weeks, their d/c date/last day date is removed from the tracker and they can continue to use the same row for the individual to include them in the weekly count. When a resident or HCP is gone longer than two weeks and returns, a new row will need to be added with the new start date in the tracker. There is a way to copy the row by clicking on the plus sign and then saving.

Pros of using this new feature:
  • Data will automatically feed into NHSN rather than having to also manually input the data into the NHSN reporting form.
  • This feature allows users to sort names while the current Data Tracking Worksheet that facilities download does not have this feature
  • When a staff member or resident is gone longer than 2 weeks and returns, a new row will need to be added with the new start date. There is a way to copy the row by clicking on the plus sign and then saving.

Cons of this feature:
  • This form cannot be downloaded to a computer for internal use.
  • In order to access the tracking sheets, users have to log into NHSN and select the tracking sheet (resident or HCP). Therefore, only individuals who have access to NHSN can use this tracker so staff who don't have access to NHSN but have been helping with internal tracking (e.g., staff status tracked by an HR person) cannot access the tracking sheet and update it. Therefore, the facility will have to come up with another internal tracking process/separate form. NOTE: There is a CSV document that is still available to use and upload but it does not auto calculate the data.
CONGRATULATIONS TO IMMUNIZATION CHAMPIONS
WHCA congratulates our member skilled nursing facilities who achieved Gold, Silver, and Bronze LTC COVID-19 Immunization Champion Awards! The awards recognize communities with the highest percentage of vaccination for their commitment to reduce barriers for employee COVID-19 vaccination.

Gold – 90% or Higher Coverage Rates
Advanced Post Acute
Alaska Gardens Health and Rehabilitation Center
Aldercrest Health and Rehab
Alderwood Park Health and Rehab
Arcadia Medical Resorts University Place
Arlington Health and Rehabilitation
Avalon Care Center at Northpointe
Avalon Care Center of Federal Way
Avalon Healthcare and Rehabilitation Pasco
Avamere at Pacific Ridge
Avamere Bellingham
Avamere Richmond Beach
Avamere Transitional Care Center of Puget Sound
Bailey-Boushay House
Bainbridge Island Health & Rehabilitation
Ballard Center
Bayview Manor
Bethany at Pacific
Bethany at Silver Lake
Booker Rest Home
Briarwood at Timber Ridge
Canterbury House
Christian Health Care Center
Colville Tribal Convalescent Center
Cottesmore of Life Care
Crestwood Convalescent Center
Discovery Nursing and Rehab
Emerald Heights
Everett Center
Everett Transitional Care Services
Fir Lane Health and Rehab
Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center
Forest Ridge Health and Rehabilitation
Franklin Hill Health and Rehabilitation
Frontier Health and Rehabilitation
Garden Terrace Healthcare Center
Garden Village
Grays Harbor Health and Rehabilitation
Hallmark Manor
Heartwood Extended Health Care
Highland Health and Rehabilitation
Issaquah Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
Kline Galland Home
Landmark Care and Rehabilitation Center
Life Care Center of Federal Way
Life Care Center of Kennewick
Life Care Center of Mt. Vernon
Life Care Center of Port Townsend
Life Care Center of Puyallup
Life Care Center of Port Orchard
Life Care Center of Richland
Life Care Center of Skagit Valley
Life Care Center South Hill
Linden Grove Health Care Center
Manor Care Gig Harbor
Manor Care Health Services Lynnwood
Manor Care Health Services Tacoma
Manor Care Salmon Creek
Marysville Care Center
Mira Vista Care Center
Mission Healthcare at Bellevue
Mission Healthcare at Renton
Montesano Health and Rehabilitation
Mountain View Rehabilitation
Mt. Baker Care Center
North Auburn Health LLC
North Bend Post Acute
North Cascades Health and Rehabilitation Center
Northwoods Lodge
Olympia Transitional Care and Rehabilitation
Orchard Park Health and Rehabilitation
Pacific Care and Rehabilitation Center
Park Manor Rehab Center
Park Rose Care Center
Parkridge Care Center
Parkwest Care Center
Prestige Care and Rehabilitation
Prestige Post Acute & Rehab Center
Puyallup Health and Rehabilitation
Quality Health Care of Bothell
Queen Anne Healthcare
Redmond Care and Rehabilitation
Regency Canyon Lakes
Regency Coupeville
Regency Harmony House
Regency Omak
Regency Wenatchee
Renton Rehabilitation Center
Roo Lan Health and Rehab
Sainte Anne Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
Seattle Medical Post Acute Care
Sequim Health and Rehabilitation Center
Sharon Care Center
Shelton Health and Rehabilitation
Shuksan Rehabilitation and Care Center
Snohomish Health and Rehabilitation
Soundview Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center
Stafford Healthcare
Stafford Healthcare at Belmont
Sunrise View Convalescent Center
The Gardens on University
The Hearthstone
The Oaks at Timberline
The Parkshore
Toppenish Nursing and Rehab Center
Touchmark on South Hill
Transitional Care Center of Seattle
Vancouver Specialty and Rehabilitative Care
View Ridge Care Center
Washington Care Center
Whitman Health and Rehabilitation
Woodland Care Center

Silver – 80-89% Coverage Rates
Avalon Care Center Pullman
Avamere Cascade Park
Avamere Heritage Rehabilitation Of Tacoma
Avamere Olympic Rehabilitation Of Sequim
Avamere St. Francis Of Bellingham
Beacon Hill Rehabilitation
Benson Heights Rehabilitation Center
Bremerton Health and Rehabilitation
Brookfield Health And Rehabilitation Of Cascadia
Cheney Care Center
Clarkston Health And Rehabilitation Of Cascadia
Colonial Vista Post-Acute And Rehab Center
Columbia Crest
Crescent Health Care
Emerald Care
Enumclaw Health And Rehabilitation Center
Forks Community Hospital LTC Unit
Fort Vancouver Post Acute
Good Samarian Society - Spokane Valley
Good Samaritan Health Care Center
Good Samaritan Society-Stafholt
Lakeridge Center
Lynnwood Post Acute Rehabilitation Center
North Central Care and Rehabilitation
Prestige Post Acute And Rehab - Kittitas Valley
Puget Sound Healthcare-Olympia LLC
Rainier Rehabilitation
Regency At The Park
Regency Care Center At Monroe
Regency Olympia
Shoreline Healthcare And Rehabilitation
Stafford Healthcare At Ridgemont
Sunnyside Care Center
Sunshine Health And Rehab
Tacoma Nursing And Rehab
Talbot Rehabilitation
The Oaks At Lakewood
Willow Springs Care

Bronze – 70-79% Coverage Rates
Alderwood Manor
Americana Health and Rehabilitation Center
Avalon Care Center Othello
Cashmere Care Center
McKay Healthcare and Rehabilitation
Prestige Acute Care and Rehab Centralia
Regency at Northpointe
Royal Park Care Center
Willapa Harbor Health and Rehab
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
WHCA continues to post resources and information as it becomes available on our website. If you have questions or need additional information, please call the WHCA office at (800) 562-6170.