COVID Update #235
HFAM Update, Reminder on New MDH Orders,
ECHO Hubs, MDH LTC Webinar Recap
|
|
HFAM Update
Friends:
Also, CLICK HERE for initial Baltimore Sun coverage of the orders and related issues.
Yesterday, we had a productive and frank call with MDH leaders on the new orders. Both the new orders and the dialogue are appreciated. Given the decline of COVID-19 cases and the vaccination of the majority of residents and patients, we continue to press for new orders on observation and cohorting.
- Since the earlier Maryland orders, CDC cohorting (observation) requirements have been reduced to seven and ten days, depending on the setting.
- Now may be the time to reduce the cohorting (observation) requirement from fourteen to ten days in Maryland skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers—especially since the new health care matters order will increase non-emergency procedures in hospitals.
- We must take a long hard look at revising visitation rules based on vaccination rates, individual vaccination status of family members, community positivity rates, outbreaks in centers, and PPE usage.
|
|
Relative to the orders issued yesterday:
The alignment of visitation with CMS guidelines should result in more centers being able to allow visitation. It is important to remember that compassionate care visits had been previously and continue to be permitted. Regarding the updated MDH visitation orders, which go in to effect March 1, some points will increase visitation and some points will impede visitation in our setting:
- The modification of percentage caps of visitors linked to the size of a specific skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, it's number of licensed beds, and the community's positivity rate will mean that more people will be able to visit with proper PPE and precautions.
- However, linking visitation to the CMS guidance will continue limiting visitation because the CMS requirement for a facility to be totally COVID free for 14 days is still in place. We need the federal government to distinguish that rule, which includes one single case, to exclude workers who do not directly interact with patients. In all of this, we will be clinically driven, continue to push on the Maryland front, and advocate along AHCA/NCAL on the national front.
- My genuine advice to healthcare heroes and leaders providing quality care to Marylanders in need is to continue being clinically driven AND to increase the number of compassionate care visits.
NOTE: Another part of the orders yesterday was explicit policy guidance making barbers and cosmetologists more available in our setting. I hope and pray that centers can make that happen; a haircut or style can really lift spirits. Finally, the MDH orders make it clear that those in our sector who don’t file their online daily CRISP reports will be fined by the Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ).
Quick Legislative Update:
As we are in the middle of the 2021 legislative session, we continue to review legislation and submit testimony for hearings on bills that impact our sector. Today we submitted testimony for Senate Bill 565 (Public Health - Data - Race and Ethnicity Information), which has a hearing next Tuesday. This legislation requires the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities to collaborate with the MHCC to publish a Health Disparities Policy Report Card. The racial and ethnic composition of individuals who hold a license or certificate would be part of this report card. If this legislation is passed, each health occupations board authorized to issue a license or certificate would need to include the option for an applicant to provide their race and ethnicity information on an application for the license or certificate. Click here for a copy of the testimony.
As Always:
- People first, quality counts.
- Be prepared to deploy people and PPE around your organization.
- Our sector MUST double our efforts on infectious disease protocol, staffing, PPE, observation, and testing.
- Train, train, and train teams again on infectious disease protocol.
- Recognize that COVID-19 fatigue is an issue across the county, not just in our sector.
- Overcommunicate with residents, patients, families, staff, and government partners.
- Sound alarms early.
- Know that WE WILL get through this and that you are saving lives!
- Work with your hospital partners, and coordinate with local and state regulatory partners.
- Take and document your action; keep a timeline.
-
CLICK HERE for the Dr. Katz Video, and please see the Donning and Doffing Checklist we have been sharing.
|
|
Joe DeMattos
President and CEO
|
|
Join the Maryland AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network
Sign up with the Green House Project
As we have previously shared, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has partnered with the University of New Mexico’s ECHO Institute and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to establish a National Nursing Home COVID Action Network (NHCAN) . The network will provide free training and mentorship to nursing homes across the country to increase the implementation of evidence-based infection prevention and safety practices to protect residents and staff.
We’re excited to announce that the Green House Project will be joining the second round of this important collaborative to support local nursing home staff working to combat COVID-19. We highly encourage you to take a look at and participate in the Green House Project HUB. While participation in this initiative is considered optional by CMS, it should be viewed as mandatory by our sector because we firmly believe that this is beneficial work. Over 7,500 nursing homes have already participated in the first round of the series.
The program features a 16-week curriculum focused on the latest research-based approaches to safety and quality improvement to support your fight against COVID-19. You will be joined by a range of subject matter experts and a local community of nursing homes facing similar challenges. In addition, nursing homes with 2-4 participants attending 13 of the 16 sessions will receive $6,000 in compensation through the Provider Relief Fund.
|
|
(Enroll now even if you can't join the first session)
|
|
MDH Webinar Recap
Yesterday, the Maryland Department of Health held a webinar call to update the long-term care sector on COVID-19 developments and best practices. The call was recorded, in case you were unable to join or would like to review the topics discussed, which included:
|
|
 |
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.
|
|
|
|
Additional Resources and Guidance
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
