Coronavirus Update #204
HFAM Update, MDH Guidance on Quarantine Periods, MDH LTC Webinar Recap,
New MD Think Update, CMS Updates and Calls
HFAM Update

Friends,

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I simply can’t thank you enough for all you are doing. Know that we understand the truly and historically challenging days and weeks we are entering. I know I am stating the obvious, but it’s important:

  • Take care of yourselves.
  • Take care of your people.
  • Be prepared to deploy people and PPE around your organization.
  • Stay close to your hospital partners.
  • Sound alarms early.
  • Know that WE WILL get through this.
  • You and your teams ARE HEROES. In moments like this, it is sometimes easy to forget.

There will be many tough decisions ahead. Things are getting very intense with the current COVID-19 surge, and we are nowhere near its peak. The surge in Western Maryland is bad and presenting staffing challenges for hospitals and nursing homes. We will see this expand to other communities in the coming days. 

We have issued more than 200 sector updates during this pandemic. This might just be the most important update to date. Here are the key points:

  • COVID-19 infections are increasing in nearly every community in Maryland, sometimes at alarming rates.
  • The healthcare heroes who work in hospitals and nursing homes live in those communities.
  • Research shows that the strongest correlation to COVID-19 being a healthcare setting is how prevalent it is in the surrounding community at large.
  • The State of Maryland has today five (5) Bridge Teams of 12 people, basically one team per region.
  • We have been alerting since September that the State of Maryland could not bridge the entire sector and that in this surge, centers and organizations would have to self-bridge.

NOTE: As we previously advised, the State of Maryland’s expectation is that our sector will self-bridge during this fall and winter COVID-19 surge. Unlike the first surge in March and April, state bridge teams of RNs, nurses’ aides, and physicians will be VERY limited. The support of State and National Guard Technical Assistance Teams that have been in all 227 centers in recent weeks to review infectious disease protocols, staffing, and PPE, has been helpful. But again, the State’s expectation is that our sector will self-bridge during this fall and winter COVID-19 surge.

Additionally:

  • We have had several calls with the State this week on working with Remedi, Omnicare, and infusions services like Advanced PIC to get Monoclonal Antibody Treatment into our centers. This must be clinically driven and used as a means to reduce hospitalizations. We are talking about small numbers of weekly allotments, maybe dozens. We are fielding a survey that is VERY IMPORTANT in this work; please complete it ASAP. CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY.

  • While much is still up in the air, our discussions with AHCA/NCAL and the State of Maryland on the vaccine are promising. I still think we could see very limited administration of a vaccine around December 20 – 29.

  • We predicted delays in PCR lab results, and we are seeing them. We will continue to be in touch with the State on this.

REMINDERS, AS ALWAYS:

  • People first, quality counts.
  • 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 fighting fatigue is an issue across the county, not just in our sector.
  • Overcommunicate with residents, patients, families, staff, and government partners.
  • 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 first distributed a couple of months ago.

I am proud of counting on you and your teams as we are just beginning the most unfortunate fall/winter surge of COVID-19. Onward together, marathon and not a sprint.


Be well,
Joe DeMattos
President and CEO
MDH Guidance for for Shorter Quarantine Periods

Please see the recently shared guidance document from the Maryland Department of Health regarding options for shortening the duration of quarantine for exposed individuals. This applies to skilled nursing and assisted living settings. Please be aware this does NOT change any requirements for the isolation of ill or positive individuals.
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:

  • COVID-19 Epi Updates
  • Maryland Updates
  • Vaccine Updates
  • NEW Quarantine Guidance
  • Long-term Care Facts
  • Q&A

You can also view the webinar's Powerpoint presentation here and the chat box here.

If you have any questions, please email mdh.ipcovid@maryland.gov.
IMPORTANT: LTC E&E Enhancement and Dedicated Email Reminder

On Monday, December 7, 2020, the MD THINK Long Term Care E&E system will be updated for Long Term Care (LTC) applicants and nursing facility users.  
 
Users will have the ability to generate a "Document Receipt". This enhancement will create a snapshot of the documents uploaded to a current case that contains the date/time of upload, who uploaded, and document type that will be available in printable or downloadable format. 
 
In the File Upload section, to print a Document Receipt, click on the new button “Print Document Receipt.” 
A print view is rendered with a list of documents along with who uploaded the document, the date/time of the upload, user who uploaded the document, etc. This can be Saved as PDF or printed. 
 
Also, please note that the DHS Office of Long Term Care (ltc.madocs@maryland.gov) dedicated email account will be decommissioned on Friday, January 1, 2021. 
 
Any emails sent to that dedicated email address will receive an auto reply email informing the sender that the email account is no longer in use, beginning January 1, 2021. This means all applications, redetermination applications, interim change documents and verifications submitted to the decommissioned email account on and after January 1, 2021 will not be received by the Office of Long Term Care.
 
We continue to encourage all facilities and other representatives of long term care participants to use the E&E System to submit applications, redeterminations, interim changes, and documentation. Online submission reduces processing time and ensures accurate data entry.
 
If you have never used the E&E system, you can gain access by following these steps.
 
If you need assistance, please contact help.mdthink@maryland.gov.
Training Reminder

The Department of Human Services conducts training every Thursday from 1 PM to 3 PM, which covers the systems enhancements. and workflows. Users may join the training by accessing Google Meet via meet.googlecom/hkp-svhj-kgb. 

It is strongly recommended that system users attend and view the training documents and videos that are available on the MD THINK website at  https://mymdthink.maryland.gov.

Topics include:
  • How to get started in MyMDTHINK
  • Navigating MyMDTHINK
  • How to request and link a PIN
  • How to view and access your current benefits
  • How to apply for programs
  • How to report a change in your circumstances
  • How to submit a redetermination for your current programs
  • Overview of the consumer portal
  • How to guide: Add nursing home staff to your facility
  • How to guide: Long-term care nursing home quick start guide
  • How to guide: Request a PIN to view your current benefits
  • How to guide: Link a case to view your current benefits
  • Facility data access agreement
  • Facility authorized assistant form
  • How to register
CMS Updates and COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls

Below are updates on Medicare Open Enrollment, Health Insurance Exchange/Marketplace Open Enrollment, and the updated CMS Stakeholder Calls. 

  • Medicare Open Enrollment closes on December 7, in just a few days. Many seniors are using this time to shop and save. Please share the social media posts in the social media toolkit or retweet Medicare Tweets.

  • The Health Insurance Exchange/Marketplace Open Enrollment Period ends on December 15; feel free to share this with others.

CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls in December

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. 

Call details are below. Conference lines are limited so you are encouraged to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. You are welcome to share this invitation with your colleagues and professional networks. These calls are not intended for the press.

Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page.

CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls
(twice a month on Tuesday at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern)

Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and healthcare systems to Increase Hospital Capacity – CMS Hospitals Without Walls; Rapidly Expand the Healthcare Workforce; Put Patients Over Paperwork; and Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare

Tuesday, December 8 at 5:00 – 6:00 PM EST
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820
Access Passcode: 3129517
 
Tuesday, December 22 at 5:00 – 6:00 PM EST
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820
Access Passcode: 3968359
 
For the most current information including call schedule changes, please click here.
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.
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.