WHCA Sunsets COVID-19 Updates

With the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), it is with much reflection and anticipation for the future that WHCA is sunsetting our COVID-19 Updates. After 294 editions and over three years later, Washington State and our nation is no longer under a PHE.

WHCA is committed to remaining your first place to look for COVID-19 information, changes in guidance, and dissemination of information. Any information that would have been included in a COVID-19 Update newsletter will now be incorporated into our LTC Connections newsletter. To ensure timely communication, our LTC Connections newsletter will move from a bi-weekly to a weekly publication. Expect to see it arrive in your email inbox on Wednesday afternoons. If there is something time-sensitive or urgent, WHCA will send out focused updates on those topics.

The COVID-19 Updates will remain on our WHCA COVID-19 Information webpage as an archive of information and in order to provide historical documentation of the last three years of evolving information. If you have questions, contact Vicki McNealley or Elena Madrid.

In honor of the last COVID-19 Update, we want to “flash back” to the first one issued on Friday, February 28, 2020, SNF and AL Member Alert | February 28, 2020. It is amazing to look back and think, "What if we knew then what we know now?" WHCA also wants to thank the author of this February 28, 2020 article, our then-CEO Robin Dale, for his committed and diligent guidance through the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as those in the WHCA office that assisted in the endeavor to ensure that WHCA members received the most current and accurate information available. Special thanks to Vicki McNealley, Brenda Orffer, Jennifer Summers, Sandy Ostergard, Diana Hitchings, Juanita Taurman, and Lauri St. Ours. Thanks also go out to our state agency partners at the Department of Health, Department of Social and Health Services, the Governor’s Office, and the local health jurisdictions.

But most of all, we want to thank you, the long-term care facilities, and your staff. Your tireless work, dedication, and commitment during the PHE and through COVID-19 outbreaks, shortages of staff and supplies, non-existent PPE, ever-changing direction/guidance, and impossible odds are an inspiration and role model for us here at WHCA and the healthcare industry. Thank you for making WHCA your “go-to” for information and advocacy. We are honored to have assisted you during this journey, and we are committed to serving you as we venture out of the PHE and towards a brighter future for long-term care.

Elena Madrid

Final Updates

Request SAMS Level 3 Access Now to Meet SNF QRP Required Reporting by May 15 | SNF

The SNF QRP reporting deadline is Monday, May 15 at 11:59 pm. This includes required reporting of Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Health Care Personnel to NHSN as this data can only be reported by facilities with SAMS level 3 access. If your facility does not have SAMS level 3 access to meet this reporting requirement, you must do the following:

Step 1: To request SAMS Level 3 access, the NHSN Facility Administrator must:

Email NHSN with “Request SAMS Level 3 Access” in the subject line.
In the body of the email, state “Please request that level 1 access be removed and replaced with level 3 access.”

Note, this process usually takes 1-3 days so please make outreach ASAP if access is needed. Save documentation of all communications in the event you are not able to make the reporting deadline and need to request an exception.

Step 2: After gaining SAMS Level 3 access, the NHSN component (HPS) where this data is reported will need to be activated. To activate:

The NHSN facility administrator will need to log into SAMS and click “NHSN Reporting.”
From the Home Page, click “Facility” then “Add/Edit Component.”
Check the box next to Healthcare Personnel Safety and select “OK.”
The NHSN Facility Administrator adds HPS Component primary contact as a user with the NHSN facility. This is typically the person who will report this data for your facility.
Return to the NHSN home page and log into the HPS component to accept the agreement to participate and consent.

After completing these steps, your facility should be able to report the required data for compliance with the SNF QRP reporting deadline.

These training slides (15 & 16) provide additional details on how to add the HPS component.

For more information, visit the Healthcare Personnel (HCP) Flu Vaccination Webpage .

CDC NHSN has office hours scheduled for Friday, May 12 at 1 pm EST to assist with answering questions. Attend via Zoom .

If you have any questions, please contact CDC at NHSN@cdc.gov.

CDC & CMS Update COVID-19 Guidance | SNF

On May 8, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. As previously announced, the CDC is discontinuing the COVID-19 Community Transmission map with the end of the Public Health Emergency on May 11.

To better align with these updated CDC recommendations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced the expiration of QSO-20-38-NH (COVID-19 Testing) effective May 11 and the revision of QSO-20-39-NH (Visitation) effective May 8. Key changes from CDC and CMS include:

Admission testing is now at the discretion of the facility. Testing for COVID-19 should be conducted by following accepted national standards, such as CDC recommendations. Non-compliance related to COVID-19 testing will be cited at F-tag 880, and F-tag 886 will no longer be in effect.
Source control is recommended:

For individuals who have suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection or other respiratory infection.
For those individuals who had close contact (patients and visitors) or a higher-risk exposure (HCP) with someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection, for 10 days after their exposure.

CDC also addresses broader use of source control as described in CDC’s Core IPC Practices in circumstances including outbreak, facility-wide or based on facility risk assessment and as recommended by public health authorities (e.g., guidance for the community when COVID-19 hospital admission levels are high).

CMS revisions to QSO-20-39 (Nursing Home Visitation) provided additional information that during an outbreak investigation, visitation is recommended to occur in the resident’s room, and visitors are recommended to wear well-fitting source control (if tolerated) and physically distance if able. Visitors are encouraged to stay up to date on their vaccinations.

Consistent with the CDC, CMS also noted that facilities should ensure proper visual alerts for visitors to understand infection prevention and control (IPC) best practices and what source control is recommended in the facility at any time. Signage can be obtained from the CDC.

For any questions, email regulatory@ahca.org.