Greetings!

CMS issued three new Quality, Safety and Oversight (QSO) memos yesterday about COVID-19. Two apply to nursing homes and a third to hospitals.

The first memo, QSO 20-14-NH: Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 provides new and helpful guidance on: 
  • Screening visitors and who should be restricted; 
  • Screening employees and contractors and who should be asked to stay at home;
  • When patients should be managed in the facility vs sent to the hospital;
  • What to do when transferring residents with suspected COVID-19, and; 
  • What criteria to use in accepting patients from the hospital with COVID-19.

The second memo, QSO 20-12-ALL: Suspension of Survey Activities announces that CMS will re-prioritize surveys to conduct focus surveys about infection control for facilities that have had an infection control deficiency in the past to assure that they are in compliance with the new regulations.

Speficially, the agency will be re-prioritizing:

  • Surveys of facilities/hospitals that have a history of infection control deficiencies at the immediate jeopardy level in the last three years, and; 
  • Surveys of facilities/hospitals/dialysis centers that have a history of infection control deficiencies at lower levels than immediate jeopardy. 

The agency also provided a copy of the critical elements pathway in QSO-20-12-ALL that will be used by the surveyors to assess compliance with current regulations. I would encourage you to review and use these guidelines in your facility as a self-assessment tool.  

Also, please review closely the State Operating Manual's guidance for F-880 related to infection control and take steps to assure consistent hand washing (or use alcohol hand gels) and contact precautions for residents with respiratory infections. 

The third memo, QSO-20-13-Hospitals: Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning Coronavirus Disease , outlines guidance to hospitals on screening visitors, employees, and when to admit and discharge residents. 

We strongly recommend facilities review these new memos and guidance as well as continue to keep up to date with CDC guidance on COVID-19 at for health professionals and facilities as they continue to update guidance on testing and management of residents with suspected and COVID+ test results. 

If I can be of any assistance to you, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

April Payne, LNHA
Vice President of Quality Improvement | Director of VCAL
Virginia Health Care Association | Virginia Center for Assisted Living
www.vhca.org | (804) 353-9101 | Calendar of Events