Greetings!

This update includes:

 

We’ve also made some updates to the COVID-19 Resources webpage—all of the documents and information are still posted on the page, but we have collapsed the subsections to make navigation on the page easier. In addition, we have posted the slides from Friday’s conference call. They include the slides on focus surveys from Mary Chiles and the VDH update. Follow up on the media tips and a template media fact sheet are in the works for you as well. 

Sincerely,

April Payne, LNHA

Vice President of Quality Improvement | Director of VCAL

Virginia Health Care Association | Virginia Center for Assisted Living 

New Form to Report Use of Out-of-State

Healthcare Practitioners to DHP

The Department of Health Professions (DHP) posted an Out-of-State Licensed Provider Reporting Form in response to Gov. Ralph Northam’s Executive Orders 57, 51 and 42, requiring hospitals, licensed nursing facilities, dialysis facilities, physicians’ offices, and other health care facilities in Virginia to notify DHP prior to, or within a reasonable time after employing or engaging an out-of-state healthcare practitioner to provide services for the health care facility or office in the Commonwealth. A health care facility includes assisted living facilities, congregate care settings, and any alternate care facility established in response to the COVID-19 emergency. 

Use of the form is a change from the original request from DHP which was to send notification to the agency on the organization’s letterhead with the out-of-state provider information at the time of or as soon as possible upon employment or engaging in services.

DHP asks providers to note that the submit button at the bottom of the form triggers an email to Christina Buisset and may only work with Outlook clients. If you have web-based email, save the file, and then send it. If you have any questions or have difficulty with the form, please contact [email protected].

DSS Updated COVID-19 Guidance and FAQs

DSS issued a memo on April 17, 2020 highlighting key information for assisted living facilities (ALFs) and their COVID-19 preparedness and response. The memo includes numerous links to the most up-to-date information and guidance regarding the pandemic. The memo reiterates that it is important for administrators and their teams to report all confirmed COVID-19 cases to VDH and their VDSS inspector, as soon as they learn of a positive case in their facility. This allows facilities to get local health district and epidemiological assistance in obtaining any additional testing and resources that are necessary, based on their assessment and guidelines set by CDC and VDH.

 

Of note, DSS is working in conjunction with VDH to gain a better understanding of the current PPE inventory and capacity at assisted living facilities. If you have not already done so, please complete the survey by Friday, April 24, 2020.

 

In addition, DSS has compiled a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to capture the questions and answers to the information facilities are seeking the most.

CMS Announces New Requirements

for Reporting Confirmed Cases

 

At a White House briefing on Sunday, April 19, 2020, CMS Administrator Seema Verma announced that the agency will be requiring skilled nursing care centers to report confirmed cases of COVID-19 to residents and families. SNFs will also be required to report confirmed cases directly to the CDC. Details on how to do this will be forthcoming later this week from CMS according to QSO-20-26-NH , a new memo to state survey directors.   

 

This announcement is similar to the information we provided you in our April 13 update, “Notification Requirements, Hospice Guidance, and Focused Survey Info” . Likewise, it is similar to AHCA/NCAL guidance  released in Update #38  on reporting confirmed cases to stakeholders and to the state survey agency, if providers were not already doing so.

 

The announcement by CMS late today applies only to nursing homes, so assisted living facilities should continue to follow DSS guidance on notifications described above.

Nebulizing Guidance

 

AHCA/NCAL has developed new guidance that outlines when and what to do with COVID-19 residents with severe respiratory symptoms who need nebulizer treatments. CDC considers nebulizer treatments to be an aerosol generating procedure. This may increase risk of infection due to aerosols generated by the procedure or due to increased contact between health care providers and patients. Facilities should review the guidance and consider whether they can care for a resident who requires nebulizer treatment.