COVID-19 Updates; July 7, 2020
Memorandum

To:     Mass Senior Care Members

From: Tara M. Gregorio, President

Re:     COVID-19 Updates: Data Submission Reporting and User Guide; DPH and CMS Call Reminders

Date:  July 7, 2020

DPH Issues Data Submission Reporting Memo and User Guide for
Chapter 93 of the Acts of 2020
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued a  memorandum and  User Guide  that provide instructions for how nursing homes and rest homes are to report daily to DPH the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among residents and staff, in order to comply with the COVID-19 reporting requirements in Chapter 93 of the Acts of 2020. The newly enacted statute requires that DPH collect demographic information about each case and death, including:
  • Gender
  • Race
  • Ethnicity
  • Disability
  • Primary city/town of residence
  • Age
  •  Primary language
  • Occupation
 
Nursing homes, rest homes and assisted living residences (ALRs) should report daily, effective immediately, to DPH if there are any changes in the number of cases or deaths among residents and staff using the secure platform, Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), which may be found here:   https://redcap.link/Chapter93ElderFacilities
 
In addition to reporting daily on new information, nursing homes, rest homes and assisted living residences (ALRs) should report all prior cases and deaths that occurred on or after March 10, 2020. This retrospective reporting should be done as soon as possible but no later than July 31, 2020.
 
  Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Weekly Call
for Nursing Homes and Rest Homes
The next DPH conference call for nursing homes and rest homes is scheduled for  Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 11:00 AM . This call will include members of DPH’s Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, and Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management.
Call-in information: 
Phone Number: 888-390-5007 
Participant Code: 3479679 
  
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts. Nursing Homes calls are twice a month on Wednesday at 4:30 PM.
 
Wednesday, July 8th at 4:30 – 5:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 2997138 


Massachusetts Senior Care Association
617-558-0202
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