Action Required on Antibody Testing, The Current Surge

HFAM Update:

Action Required! Antibody Testing:

Governor Hogan announced another round of antibody level testing at long-term care facilities, similar to a previous study in August 2021 which helped lead to the offering of a third dose COVID vaccine booster vaccine. The plan is for MDH to enroll 1000+ residents over the next few days and have the final report available in two weeks for possibly recommending an additional booster dose. It is critically important that our skilled nursing and rehabilitation center members participate and assist in this study.

Those interested in participating should contact:

Sohail M Qarni , MD MPH, FAAFP

Medical Director, and Senior Medical Advisor Testing and Vaccination Recovery Task Force

Maryland Department of Health, Prevention and Health Promotion Administration

(o): 410-767-6717

(c): 410-790-0373

Email: Sohail.Qarni@maryland.gov

Please click below buttons for additional information.

Letter to Residents

Letter to Facilities

Consent Form

The Current Surge:

As predicted, the current surge is declining in the Northeast and here in Maryland. While we are seeing a declining positivity rate, fewer hospitalizations, and anecdotally fewer staff callouts, we must remain vigilant. The positivity rate is still very high compared to non-surges.

Finally, over the weekend the Washington Post ran a workforce article about our sector. Given the work we put in providing facts and industry voices to the reporter, I am disappointed that the article was not more broad in scope. Here are the points I shared with the reporter:

We are fighting this surge with fewer people working in healthcare generally and specifically in skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers. The result is we have open beds that we cannot staff.

Workforce recruitment and retention was a challenge before the pandemic, and has grown dramatically more challenging over the past two years due to the pandemic. Add to this that in Maryland tens of thousands of healthcare workers across all settings have left the field since the start of the pandemic.

Our healthcare heroes who continue to work on the frontlines are understandably fatigued from fighting COVID at work and at home these last two years.

Because of the highly contagious nature of Omicron, many healthcare workers are testing positive for COVID, and thus not able to work for serval days. During this surge [it's down now] on any given day, 8 to 16 percent [it’s down now] of workers in Maryland nursing homes are not able to work after testing positive. That’s several thousand skilled nursing and rehabilitation center workers (dietary, maintenance, housekeeping, nursing) who are not available on any given day.

Other leaders in the sector shared similar points. Contrary to the citation in the article on the federal median annual pay of a nurse’s aides in our setting, the vast majority of Maryland nursing homes blew through that median and above $15/hour long ago in this pandemic. Please see this fact sheet, which we also provided to Rebecca.

Please note: Nursing homes in some communities are currently paying much more than the averages in the fact sheet. The truth is nursing homes in Maryland are paying higher wages. In addition, other costs are being driven up by inflation and are not supported by current federal or state reimbursement levels. One VERY important point in Rebecca’s article— this is a national problem.

As Always:

Focus on what is in your control and not what is out of your control.
Let’s get those boosters and the flu vaccine in the arms of people.
Overcommunicate – with residents, patients, families, staff, and government partners.
Adapt and innovate.
Rely on your partnerships.
Speak up when you need help.
Double efforts on infectious disease protocols, training, and operations.
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.

I can’t thank you enough for all you continue to do to provide quality care to Marylanders in need, and with fewer staff and resources in this current surge. Together, we WILL get through this. And we are trending towards brighter days. Onward together!

Be well,

Joe DeMattos

President and CEO

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