Greetings!

Today we're hosting our Friday afternoon member call on COVID-19 at 3:30 pm. You need to register in advance for the call, but if you did so last week, you should already have the call-in info.

 

This message also includes:

We look forward to talking with everyone at 3:30 pm.

Sincerely,

April Payne, LNHA

Vice President of Quality Improvement | Director of VCAL

Virginia Health Care Association | Virginia Center for Assisted Living 

VHCA-VCAL Member Call: COVID-19

April 17, 2020 | 3:30 pm

 

Register for the meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/u5YocOmqqTwpL2rg4M3H_eGy7zU3YexcYg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting, including calendar notices for the calls over the next month.

Agenda

Please mute your line to improve the sound quality on the call. Zoom has a chat feature you can use to send questions or comments if you join via your computer.

Governor’s COVID-19 Long Term Care Facilities Task Force

 

The Governor’s COVID-19 Long Term Care Facilities Task Force met for the first time yesterday. Dr. Laurie Forlano, state deputy commissioner of population health with VDH, is leading the task force. VHCA-VCAL and members will be active participants in the task force.

 

The charge for the LTC Task Force is to:

 

Areas of focus include data, staffing, financing, testing, PPE, infection control, and hospital discharge planning. Subgroups will be formed on these topics. We will continue to share information from the task forces as its work evolves. 

Additional Protocol Tool: COVID-19 Testing

 

We have posted another COVID-19 protocol tool on our website, courtesy of Melissa Green and Trio-Healthcare, LLC. The new Protocol 4: COVID-19 Testing covers testing residents and staff and active case and recovery.

Where to Turn for Help

 

AHCA/NCAL has developed brief guidance for facilities facing PPE and staffing shortages, as well as other challenges in receiving assistance. It is critically important that you raise the alarm and document your efforts to obtain support.

CDC Updated Criteria for Return to Work

 

On April 13, 2020, the CDC released new interim guidance, Return to Work for Healthcare Personnel with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19. This guidance covers return to work criteria for healthcare personnel (HCP) with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Centers are to use the test-based strategy as the preferred method for determining when HCP may return to work. If test-based strategy cannot be used, the non-test-based strategy may be used for determining when HCP may return to work. HCP with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms should be excluded from work until 10 days have passed since the first date of their positive COVID-19 diagnostic test, assuming they have not subsequently developed symptoms since their positive test.

Suspension of Standard Surveys Continues

 

CMS announced on its national call with nursing homes on April 15 that the suspension of standard surveys will continue until further notice. This means the CMS guidance released on March 23 has been extended until CMS states otherwise. CMS will continue to conduct surveys for immediate jeopardy situations and additional infection control focused surveys using this tool .

 

Use this tool to perform self-assessments of your infection control policies, plans, and practices, including visitor entry and screening; infection surveillance; education, monitoring, and screening of staff; handwashing, donning and doffing of PPE, and other transmission-based precautions. You can find additional information to help you with AHCA’s Action Brief and on ahcancalED .

 

Surveyors entering the building should bring their own PPE; be sure to screen surveyors as you would any visitor to the building, which now includes temperature checks. Surveyors should spend as little time on site as possible for these surveys and are instructed not to investigate routine issues.

Updates to Provider Relief Fund Website

 

The federal government has added an attestation portal to the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund website . Providers who have been allocated a payment from the initial $30 billion general distribution must sign an attestation confirming receipt of the funds and agree to the terms and conditions within 30 days of payment.

 

Additionally, the federal government has clarified that relief funds are available to all providers regardless of whether they have specifically treated COVID-19, noting that the government “broadly views every patient as a possible case of COVID-19.”

 

AHCA/NCAL has updated the FAQs on the Provider Relief Fund on this new development with some additional info.

Long Term Care Administrator Exams

 

National Administrator Board (NAB) exams are now available as of April 14, 2020 and are considered an essential business need. Testing centers and dates are still somewhat limited, but candidates can go to the PSI scheduling site as they normally would following the link in their approval letters, and they will be able to see what sites and dates are available. This information is now posted on the NAB website.

CMS Call “Lessons on the Front Lines: COVID-19”

 

This call series is an opportunity to hear physicians and other clinical leaders share their experiences, best practices, strategies, and insights related to COVID-19.

 

Lessons from The Front Lines calls are held weekly on Fridays at 12:30 pm Eastern.

 

CMS Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19

April 17 | 12:30 – 2:00 PM Eastern

Participant Dial-In : (877) 251-0301

Access Code : 8672948

Join via Audio Webcast

 

Conference lines are limited, so it is highly encouraged that you join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser.

Hilton’s Rooms Donation Program to

Frontline Medical Workers

 

Hilton and American Express have partnered to donate up to one million free hotel nights to AHCA/NCAL association and other frontline medical professionals, so you can have a safe and welcoming place to stay as you support those impacted by COVID-19.

 

Bookings can be made for up to seven consecutive nights at a time and are currently open through May 9. The program will run through May 31 with rooms being added through the end of May on a rolling basis, subject to availability.

 

To search available hotels and book, log in on AHCA/NCAL’s website, and go to www.ahcancal.org/Hilton-Partnership to find a link to the program. Hilton has required that participating associations limit the offer to members to help ensure that the offer gets to who it was intended to reach – frontline health care workers treating COVID-19.

 

For assistance logging-in to the AHCA/NCAL website, go to the Member Dashboard for assistance.