Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The GAO Press Release issued January 28, 2021 coincides with “its fifth comprehensive report examining the ongoing implementation of the CARES Act and other pandemic relief measures in response to our nation’s continued effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. GAO is making 13 new recommendations in the report.…… Continue reading GAO Report: COVID-19: Critical Vaccine Distribution, Supply Chain, Program Integrity, and Other Challenges Require Focused Federal Attention

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare As the U.S. works to significantly increase COVID-19 vaccine administration, USP has been working with stakeholders and convening experts to identify and help address efficiency gaps (e.g., use of pre-drawn syringes) healthcare practitioners may encounter when handling and preparing COVID-19 vaccines. Today (January 28, 2021), we…… Continue reading COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit – Version 2.0 Now Available

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the most recent county COVID-19 positivity rates.  This posting carries the date of January 25, 2021. As I always do in this blog, more information about the requirement to test nursing home staff based on county positivity rates is found within QSO-20-38-NH.  Past…… Continue reading CMS Posts County COVID-19 Positivity Rates – January 25, 2021

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare If you’re looking for COVID-19 training resources, here’s a place to start.  Training for Healthcare Professionals is a website that identifies many training options. CDC updates this resource periodically – most recently on January 25, 2021. Here’s the current training opportunities found on this website: Search…… Continue reading COVID-19 Training Resources for Healthcare Professionals

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The CDC updated its Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States website on January 21, 2021. Administration “The mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series consist of two doses administered intramuscularly: Pfizer-BioNTech (30 µg, 0.3 ml each): 3 weeks (21 days)…… Continue reading Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna)

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Late Friday evening (January 22, 2020), the Acting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Norris Cochran sent a letter to state Governors indicating that in addition to extending the current public health emergency (PHE) for an additional 90-days, effective January 21st, HHS has…… Continue reading HHS Extends Public Health Emergency (PHE) Through End of 2021, At Minimum

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Telligen QI Connect is hosting a webinar that you/your team would benefit from: Dr. Anuj Mehta, Assistant Professor of Medicine with Denver Health and Hospital Authority, will discuss why some healthcare providers and patients are vaccine hesitant and provide answers to the following questions: – How…… Continue reading Upcoming Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccine: Reasons Not to be Afraid

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The latest version of this toolkit – Version 17 – is now available.

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted nursing home COVID-19 data for week ending January 10, 2021. Above charts are found here as are additional charts.

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This afternoon – January 21, 2021 – President Joseph Biden held a press conference to announce the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness.   This is a 200-page document. Here’s a look at the Table of Contents: The President’s Executive Summary is as follows…… Continue reading Breaking News: White House Releases National Strategy Plan for COVID-19 Response