In a Dear Administrator letter dated March 18, 2022, all providers are informed of the Department of Health updated Secretary of Health Order 20-03.8, Face Coverings - Statewide effective March 12, 2022. The Order requires every person in Washington State to wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth when they are indoors in long term care settings unless an allowance or exemption applies. The letter lists situations when people are not required to wear a mask, provides a list of individuals exempt from the requirement, and includes additional provisions defining face coverings and their proper use.

The Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission filed emergency rules extending the delegation of nursing tasks to nursing assistant registered (NAR) employees without the need for the RN to ensure the NAR has completed basic caregiver training prior to accepting delegated tasks. This emergency rule will expire in 120 days from March 14, 2022. The nursing commission will communicate again around mid-May to determine whether the reference to basic caregiver training can be reinstated or whether the waiver needs to remain in place. If additional extensions are necessary, the emergency rule will be refiled mid-July 2022.

All other waivers associated with nurse delegation have expired, requiring a return to every-90-day RN revisits and once-a-week visits (for the first four weeks) for initial insulin delegation. If you have questions about nurse delegation in assisted living, please email Vicki McNealley or call her at (800) 562-6170, extension 107.

In an AL Dear Administrator letter and a SNF Dear Administrator letter both dated Marcha21, 2022, providers are informed that beginning April 15, 2022, Home and Community Services (HCS) is resuming in person client visits for long term care Medicaid assessing and care planning. The letters explain HCS staff are screened by self-attestation prior to conducting an in-person case management appointment. Facility staff may ask the COVID screening questions that are normally asked of employees and others who enter the facility or home. The letters also explain that HCS staff will contact the facility before arriving to determine if there is any suspected or known COVID-19 in the setting and if there is, will delay or reschedule the appointment. HCS staff will wear appropriate PPE, follow facility safety requirements, and work to minimize contact and limit exposure as much as possible during the appointment.

It is important to note that HCS staff are not considered visitors, must be allowed entry, are considered essential workers, and do not sign a visitor attestation, nor are they included in the calculation of maximum capacity. Of note,

If you have questions or concerns, the letters direct you to contact your local HCS Field Services Administrator.

NHSN has created a new functionality in the application to allow users to manage their person-level tracking worksheet in the application. Please join the COVID-19 Data Tracking Worksheet Training presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webinar on March 29, at 11 AM PST, to learn more. Register in advance.

Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department shared in their March 21, 2022, COVID-19 Updates they offer rapid antigen tests, PCR test kits, and mobile testing. With mobile testing, a testing team will go to your facility and perform COVID-19 testing of your staff and residents. Requests must provide 24 hours advance notice.

The update also notes regarding achieving MTS licensure, the Department of Health (DOH) has stated that a facility does not need to wait until their MTS application is approved, they may begin testing immediately after submitting their application.

On March 17, 2022, Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA) filed a preproposal notice with the intent to reinstate the fingerprinting requirement for providers that was temporarily suspended by Governor's proclamation due to the Public Health Emergency. Read the preproposal here. If you are interested in participating in this rule making, please contact Angel Sulivan at angel.sulivan@dshs.wa.gov.

Comagine is offering two weekly webinar series for skilled nursing centers to support ongoing COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Below are the two weekly webinars available.

Join us for a 30-minute webinar series focused on improving vaccine and booster rates in your facilities. Each week we will present best practices and resources that are actionable for your facility leaders and staff.

Every Tuesday through April 12 | 11-11:30 AM | Link to Register

Join Comagine Health for 30 minutes every Friday for an open conversation about raising your COVID-19 primary vaccine series and booster rates for residents and staff. Join us to learn about new resources and best practices, to ask questions, and to hear and learn from a small group of your peers.

Every Friday through April 15 | 11 - 11:30 AM (30 minutes) | Link to Register

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.