Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On October 5, 2020, CDC issued updated guidance to its How COVID-19 Spreads website, which includes information about the potential for airborne spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.  This updated guidance was announced via a Media Release. “CDC continues to believe, based on current science,…… Continue reading CDC Updates “How COVID is Spread” Webpage

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On October 2, 2020, CMS released (its) monthly update of data that provides a snapshot of the impact of COVID-19 on the Medicare population. The updated data show over 1 million COVID-19 cases among the Medicare population and over 284,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations.  Other key findings: The…… Continue reading CMS Updates Medicare COVID-19 Snapshot

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the most recent COVID-19 Nursing Home Data – week ending 9/20/2020. County positivity rates dated September 28, 2020 are the most recent rates posted.  

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare An updated version of the SNF COVID-19 PR Tip Sheet that was posted on September 8, 2020, is now available. The purpose of this Tip Sheet is to help providers understand CMS’ public reporting strategy for the PAC QRP in the midst of the COVID-19 public…… Continue reading Updated SNF QRP COVID-19 PR Tip Sheet is Available

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) are updating guidance for long-term care facilities to comply with new requirements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This updated guidance aligns with federal regulations to balance…… Continue reading State of Iowa Updates Long-Term Care Facility Visitation Guidance

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare A new report from the federal COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Working Group, COVID-19: Considerations, Strategies, and Resources for Crisis Standards of Care in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities, says that PALTC facilities need to adjust operations and standards of care in order to preserve and effectively…… Continue reading Crisis Standards of Care in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The National Nursing Home COVID Action Network – a partnership between AHRQ, the University of New Mexico’s ECHO Institute and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) – provides free training and mentorship to nursing homes across the country to increase the implementation of evidence-based infection prevention…… Continue reading National Nursing Home COVID Action Network

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The latest round of nursing home infection control surveys is now available for review.  This file was updated September 29, 2020. This is a .zip folder that will open to this view:

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On September 29, 2020, “CMS announced an update to the methodology the agency employs to determine the rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positivity in counties across the country. Counties with 20 or fewer tests over 14 days will now move to “green” in the color-coded…… Continue reading CMS Updates COVID-19 Testing Methodology for Nursing Homes

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Shortages of Staff in Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic … What are the Driving Factors? is an interesting study that “examines the prevalence and factors associated with shortages of NH staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The primary analysis included all free-standing NHs with COVID-19 information…… Continue reading Shortages of Staff in NHs During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Study)