Saturday, AHCA/NCAL released new
guidance
and a
press statement
on notifying public health officials and stakeholders about confirmed cases of COVID-19 in long term care facilities. This guidance reinforces much of what long term care providers are already doing and are currently required to do in their states. Our guidance today suggests that long term care providers should also report to the state survey agency, if you are not already, so that CMS and other federal agencies have another way to gather national information.
When a COVID-19 case is confirmed (whether resident or personnel) in a long term care facility, several notifications need to occur.
For the initial case of confirmed COVID-19 in the facility:
For each resident in the facility who has a COVID-19 positive test (including each additional case after initial cases):
- Notify the resident and/or their representative when they have a positive COVID-19 test.
- Notify state survey agency that you have a case.
- Notify the local and state health departments with information per state reporting requirements.
- CDC guidelines state the health department should be notified about residents with severe respiratory infection or a cluster of respiratory infections (e.g., 3 or more residents or Health Care Professional (HCP) with new-onset respiratory symptoms over 72 hours) of residents or HCP with symptoms of respiratory infections.
- AHCA/NCAL NOTE: COVID-19 would constitute a severe respiratory infection and should be reported; required information may vary by state.
- Notify the primary physician for the resident who has a confirmed case.
- Notify all employees working in the facility.
For each staff member of the facility with a COVID-19 positive test (including each additional case after initial cases):
- Notify state survey agency that you have a case.
- Notify the local and state health departments with information per state reporting requirements.
- CDC guidelines state the health department should be notified about Health Care Professional (HCP) with symptoms of respiratory infection. Required information may vary by state.
For all communications above, keep records of notifications that have been made.
