Greetings!

This message includes:
  • information about the CMS’s posting of NHSN vaccine data;
  • information on the new OSHA emergency temporary standards; and
  • a link to sign up for a webinar we are hosting on C. auris.

Sincerely,

April Payne, MBA, LNHA
Chief Quality & Regulatory Affairs Officer
Executive Director of VCAL
Virginia Health Care Association | Virginia Center for Assisted Living 
CMS Posts Vaccination Rates

On June 10, CMS publicly posted COVID-19 staff and resident vaccination data for individual nursing facilities on its COVID-19 Nursing Home Data website. The site is showing data as of May 30. As of that time, only 25.5 percent of Virginia’s nursing facilities were reporting their data.
 
The CMS website includes the full data set, a searchable map that shows individual facility data, and tables comparing vaccine rates for residents and staff across the country. CMS will update the data every Thursday. The agency will also post a list of facilities that have 75 percent of staff vaccinated. State averages of resident and staff vaccination will also be updated regularly by CMS. The data shows that the staff vaccination rate in the Commonwealth is 58.8 percent, and the resident vaccination rate is 78.3 percent.
 
As you know, facilities have until 11:59 pm, Sunday, June 13, 2021, to report their staff and resident vaccination rates and therapeutics data via the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). CMS will begin levying civil monetary penalties on Monday, June 14, for facilities that fail to report. We encourage member nursing centers to submit their data and review the CMS website to verify submitted data is accurate.
 
Here are links we want to flag for you based on member questions about the reporting:
 



 

Additional information

  • For questions about the NHSN COVID-19 LTC Module (including questions about enrollment and data submission and correction), contact [email protected].

  • For questions regarding CMS’s COVID-19 Nursing Home dataset on the website, contact [email protected].
OSHA Issues COVID-19
Emergency Temporary Standard
 
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) to address exposure to COVID-19 to workers in health care settings. This health care ETS applies, with some exceptions, to settings where any employee provides health care services or health care support services. AHCA/NCAL is reviewing the ETS and the implications for skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs/IID).
 
The ETS addresses topics including but not limited to: 
  • Development and implementation of a COVID-10 plan 
  • Personal protective equipment 'Physical distancing and barriers 
  • Ventilation 
  • Recordkeeping 
  • Patient screening 
  • Cleaning and disinfection 
 
VHCA-VCAL’s preliminary analysis of the OSHA standard is that Virginia’s final workplace safety standards for COVID-19 issued by the Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) meet or exceed the OSHA standard. We are continuing to review the OSHA standard compared to the DOLI regulations and will share additional information in future communications.
C auris: Containment Strategy for
Infection Prevention in LTCFs

VCHA-VCAL is hosting a free webinar on July 13, 2021, at 10:00 am on multidrug resistant organism (MDRO) surveillance for Candida auris (C. auris) and containment strategies for infection prevention in long term care facilities (LTCFs). This is a must-attend event for infection preventionists and nurse leadership.

Public health leaders are concerned about rising cases of C. auris, an emerging fungus, which is often multidrug resistant. According to the CDC, C. auris mainly affects patients who already have many medical problems. It often affects people who have had frequent hospital stays or live in nursing homes.

Register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. The webinar will be recorded for those unable to attend the live event.
Upcoming Events

June 30, 2021 | 3:00 pm

July 13, 2021 | 10:00 am

July 15, 2021

July 30, 2021

September 12-18, 2021
Quick Links
www.vhca.org | (804) 353-9101 | Calendar of Events