This message includes:

As a reminder, we are also hosting a SMART user training session today, July 28, at 3:00 pm to help everyone get the most out of this great survey resource.

Sincerely,

The CDC announced updated guidance for fully vaccinated individuals on July 27. This guidance is aimed at preventing transmission levels of the highly communicable and now predominant Delta variant. The CDC has released additional information in its Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report.

As of now, CDC guidance for long term care has not changed. However, this new guidance does impact staff outside of work, and we encourage you to educate your staff on this new guidance, the impact of the Delta variant, and the importance of getting vaccinated to prevent further spread.

As the Delta variant continues to spread, it will impact testing frequency and other infection control practices. Please redouble your efforts to follow CDC infection control guidance. AHCA/NCAL recommends reviewing the following CDC documents:

If community rates continue to increase and vaccination rates remain the same, we anticipate seeing changes to our infection control and other guidance from the CDC. AHCA/NCAL will continue to work closely with the CDC and keep you informed of changes that impact you.

As a reminder, nursing facilities are allowed to use either the CMS published positivity rates or the state published rates to determine the frequency of staff testing, but must document the source, date, time, and use the same source consistently.

AHCA/NCAL will host a webinar on August 11 at 3:00 pm focused on the recent report, Invest in Trust: A Guide for Building COVID-19 Vaccine Trust Among Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs). The report’s lead researcher will share key findings from the report that was commissioned by the AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network. You will also hear from two long term care (LTC) providers who have worked hard to improve vaccination rates among their staff.

 

This webinar will include a Q&A session to allow attendees to share their challenges and seek insight from the speakers. Through both evidence-based research and real-world stories of success, this webinar will provide you with helpful tools and knowledge to improve your staff vaccination rates.

 

LTC communities have been working tirelessly to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence among their staff, but data from the CDC show that approximately only 59 percent are fully vaccinated (67.29 percent in Virginia). With the new delta variant quickly spreading in the United States, it is more important than ever to increase staff vaccination rates.​

 

Register today!

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