Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Tuesday, December 28, 2021, CMS posted QSO-22-07-ALL. This is a 5-page QSO Memorandum with numerous provider-specific attachments. Effective Date: This policy should be communicated with all survey and certification staff, their managers, and the State/CMS Location training coordinators immediately. The effective dates of the specific…… Continue reading Guidance for the Interim Final Rule – Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Late afternoon on Monday, December 27, 2021, CDC released this media statement regarding isolation and quarantine periods for the general population. Included in the statement is this chart: The following is attributable to CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky: “The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the…… Continue reading CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP   Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Wednesday, December 22, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court posted the start of oral arguments on Friday, January 7, 2022, in the cases of: “The U.S. Supreme Court said it would hear arguments on an expedited basis on President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 shot-or-test rule for large…… Continue reading U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments in Early January 2022 on Both COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CDC updated Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on December 23, 2021. “Due to concerns about increased transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, this guidance is being updated to enhance protection for healthcare personnel (HCP), patients, and visitors, and to…… Continue reading Recent CDC COVID-19 Information Updated

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the latest COVID-19 Nursing Home data for the week ending December 12, 2021. This latest data set shows these changes from the November 28th data set (2 weeks ago): Resident vaccination rate increased 0.4%Staff vaccination increased 2.4%Resident confirmed cases increased 9,573Staff confirmed cases…… Continue reading Latest COVID-19 Nursing Home Data Posted

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare About an hour ago, Reuters reported this (bolding, underlining and italics added by me): “A federal appeals court on Wednesday revived in 26 U.S. states a COVID-19 mandate issued by President Joe Biden’s administration requiring millions of healthcare workers to get vaccinated if they work in…… Continue reading Court Revives Health Worker COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate in 26 U.S. States

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Yesterday I blogged on managing fatigue during the pandemic.  Today I providing two (2) resources that speak to mental health: Mental Health and Resiliency Tools for Health Care Workers: COVID-19 from the Minnesota Department of Health and Tips for Healthcare Professionals: Coping with Stress and Compassion…… Continue reading Mental Health and Resiliency Tools for Health Care Workers: COVID-19

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On December 14, 2021, HHS and HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) announced “the distribution of approximately $9 billion in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 payments to health care providers who have experienced revenue losses and expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The average payment…… Continue reading HHS Releasing $9 Billion in Provider Relief Fund Payments to Support Health Care Providers Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Updated waste management was provided by CDC on December 13, 2021 on the Guidance for SARS-CoV-2 Point-of-Care and Rapid Testing website. The Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know website was updated December 13, 2021. COVID-19 Vaccines for People with Underlying Medical Conditions was updated December…… Continue reading Recent CDC COVID-19 Guidance Updates/Information

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare “At times of crisis, healthcare workers (e.g., nurses, advanced practice nurses, physicians, nursing assistants, etc.) continue to provide care, despite ever challenging work demands, including higher influx of critically ill patients, increased work stress, and a frequent need for overtime. These work demands can compound already…… Continue reading Managing Fatigue During Times of Crisis: Guidance for Nurses, Managers, Other Healthcare Workers