KHCA/KCAL is committed to providing our members with important updates. Below is a list of the most recent information. Please visit our website for a list of complete updates. www.khca.org/covid-19-resources
|
|
CMS Updates Nursing Home Visitation FAQs
The updates provide important clarifications, such as:
- Suggestions on how to conduct visits that reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
- Best practices for improving air quality to reduce risks during visitation.
- Ways a facility can improve and/or manage air flow during visitation.
-
Availability of funding for environmental changes, which reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Facilities can request CMP reinvestment funds to purchase portable fans and portable room air cleaners with HEPA filters.
- Visitor testing as a condition of entering a facility.
|
|
CDC Releases Updated Infection Prevention and Control Guidance
The CDC has updated two health care infection prevention and control guidance documents. READ MORE
|
|
HHS To Ship 5M COVID-19 Tests To Long-Term Care Operators Struggling With Shortages
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (2/3, Marselas) reports, "Rapid-test supply shortages and slow lab turnaround times continue to dog nursing facility operators as they await delivery of a new batch of COVID-19 rapid tests promised by the federal government." Although the Biden Administration reportedly "is shipping approximately 2.8 million rapid COVID-19 antigen tests each week to long-term care facilities, there have not been enough to go around." HHS "will ship five million Celltrion point-of-care tests to facilities nationwide over a period of five weeks, according to the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living."
Skilled Nursing News (2/2, Stulick) reports similarly, saying the American Health Care Association "estimates the industry needs closer to 5 million tests per week, the article said; about 76% of nursing homes said they have adequate testing supplies, but restocking was becoming more difficult."
|
|
A Message from the Kansas State Board of Nursing
Click here for the KSBN Update from today that reviews the provisions of HB 2477 that will expire on January 20, 2023. There is one new provision that is in this bill that was not in the prior bill and executive orders. Employers need to be very aware of this provision. The bill allows nurses licensed and in good standing in another state to practice in Kansas without a license with us. Some things to remember about this:
- This provision does not apply to a nurse with a multistate license that was granted in another member state of the NLC
-
This bill has a new provision that states this nurse may notify the Kansas Board of Nursing within 7 days of starting practice in the state. Here is a form that has been developed and placed on our website they will need to complete. It is a simple form requesting a little bit of information. It will not take them long to complete. It is the responsibility of the employer to convey this requirement to the nurse when the employer brings the nurse into Kansas to work. We cannot do it and we will not know they are in Kansas until we receive the completed form. I realize this is an additional step, however the bill states we have to do this. There is a link in the update to the form that must be completed. There is nothing else they have to do with us and they will not receive a temporary license from us.
Executive Administrator
|
|
More Nursing Homes Facing Longer Wait Times For COVID-19 Test Results
Kaiser Health News (2/2, Pradhan) reports that "more nursing homes are waiting longer for COVID-19 test results for residents and staffers, according to federal data." This "double whammy of slower turnaround times for lab-based PCR tests and a shortage of rapid antigen tests has strained facilities where quickly identifying infections is crucial for keeping a highly vulnerable population safe." An analysis by KHN "of data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finds that 25% of nursing homes that sent tests to a lab waited an average of three or more days for results as of Jan. 16." The American Health Care Association "recently said the [Biden] administration plans to send the sector an additional 5 million rapid tests in the coming weeks, but the industry says that’s not nearly enough." AHCA "asked the Biden administration to increase the sector’s testing supplies and related equipment. The group estimates the sector needs 5 million tests per week."
Roll Call (2/2, Clason, 130K) reports, "The AHCA/NCAL recently asked the administration to increase testing shipments and retain priority for long-term care." AHCA/NCAL said, "There has been soaring demand for tests among the general public and among other industries across the country due to the Omicron surge. ... So as a result, many long term care facilities are having difficulty acquiring tests and/or experiencing delays in getting back PCR test results."
|
|
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
KDADS LTC Provider Webinar on Staff Vaccination Regulatory Oversight and Enforcement, with time for Q &A
Presenters: Deputy Secretary Scott Brunner, Commissioner Lacey Hunter, Assistant Commissioner Dawne Stevenson
|
|
The AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit is Back! Registration Now Open!
Quality Summit will be held in Kissimmee, FL, May 16-18.
Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality for the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Lee A. Fleisher, MD, is the opening keynote speaker.
|
|
Assisted Living FCS, NSA and HSP Lunch and Learn (In Person)
3/4/22 12PM - 4PM
Topeka, KS
The Functional Capacity Screen (FCS). Who knew such a simple looking document could be so complicated? During this lunch and learn you’ll learn how to accurately complete a Functional Capacity Screen (FCS). Together you’ll collaborate and work through common ‘gray areas’ and how to document them. Once you’ve tackled the Functional Capacity Screen (FCS), the Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) and Health Services Plan (HSP) are next! A completed FCS will be provided to all participants and Joan Hudson, RN-BC, LNHA will walk you through how to take the data from the FCS, add your resident ‘wants’ to the assessment and produce a Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) to capture all the billable services for your resident.
Joan will also address situations for Negotiated Risk Agreements, NSA Addendums and ideas for completing them. Once the FCS and NSA are done we’ll use the information to create our Health Services Plan (HSP) that describes to our direct caregivers how to provide the services we’ve negotiated for our residents.
This workshop is a great opportunity for Operators and Nurses to work through this process as a team. It’s also a chance for you to make sure you’re on the same page and meeting the requirements as set out by KDADS.
|
|
Webinar: Winning the Fall Prevention Battle Series: Analyzing the Fall Event—Critical Steps After a Fall
2/9/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
|
|
Focus on Dementia Care (3-part webinar series)
1:00PM - 2:15PM
2/10/22
2/17/22
2/24/22
|
|
Webinar: The Proficient Infection Preventionist Series: Developing an Exceptional Infection Control & Prevention Program
2/15/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
|
|
Webinar: Winning the Fall Prevention Battle Series: Frontline Strategies for Fall Prevention: Environmental Measures, Activities Programs & Promoting Safe Movement
2/16/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
|
|
Webinar: Winning the Fall Prevention Battle Series: Conquering Falls Through Effecting Care Planning
2/23/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
|
|
Assisted Living FCS, NSA and HSP Lunch and Learn
3/4/2022 12:00PM - 4:00PM
|
|
ICD-10 Coding Workshop (in person)
3/29 - 3/30/2022
|
|
Kansas Health Care Association and the Kansas Center for Assisted Living
1100 SW Gage Blvd. | PO Box 4770 | Topeka, KS 66604
PH: 785-267-6003 FAX: 785-267-0833
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
