Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS issued SE20018 on May 20, 2020.  This MLN Matters Article “is for hospitals requesting Medicare approve swing beds as a hospital service to provide skilled nursing level care for hospitalized patients who don’t need acute level care but can’t find nursing home placement during…… Continue reading COVID-19 Blanket Swing Bed Waiver for Addressing Barriers to NH Placement

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This past weekend, the CDC released its version of safely reopening America: CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again.  This 60-page document was to have been released back on May 8th but the White House…… Continue reading CDC Releases Reopening America Guidelines

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare AMDA posted this document on May 18, 2020.  Here is the issue that the document addresses: “There is a clear understanding that protecting our vulnerable post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) population is dependent on adequate access to testing. Testing must be readily accessible, completed in…… Continue reading AMDA Considerations to Consider Before Implementing Universal Testing

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This Press Release was issued late on Monday, May 18, 2020 to announce new guidance for state and local officials to ensure the safe reopening of nursing homes across the country.  “The recommendations would allow states to make sure nursing homes are continuing to take…… Continue reading CMS Issues Nursing Home Reopening Recommendations for State and Local Officials

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare While researching NHSN for a lab session I’m presenting at the virtual AAPACN annual conference June 3-5th, I found this document that provides the CMS requirements for reporting COVID-19 data to NHSN. It’s also found on this page near the top, with this information: And…… Continue reading COVID-19 NHSN Reporting Requirements for Nursing Homes

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Thursday, May 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an alert providing safety tips employers can follow to help protect nursing home and long-term care facility workers from exposure to the coronavirus. Safety measures employers can implement…… Continue reading Keep Nursing Home and LTC Workers Safe During Coronavirus Pandemic

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Late afternoon on Thursday, May 14, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a call for nominations for the new contractor-led Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes “to help inform immediate and future responses to the Coronavirus Disease 2019…… Continue reading Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes – Call for Nominations

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) posted six (6) “decision tool” documents on Thursday, May 14, 2020.  These tools are just some of their long-delayed guidance “that schools, businesses and other organizations can use as states reopen from coronavirus shutdowns.  The documents use…… Continue reading CDC Releases New Reopening Guidance

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Wednesday, May 13, 2020 “CMS released a new toolkit developed to aid nursing homes, Governors, states, departments of health, and other agencies who provide oversight and assistance to these facilities, with additional resources to aid in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)…… Continue reading CMS Issues Nursing Homes Best Practices Toolkit to Combat COVID-19

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On Monday, May 11, 2020, Seema Verma – Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – issued this letter to nursing homes across the country: Dear Nursing Home Facility Management and Staff: On behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…… Continue reading Seema Verma’s Letter to Nursing Home Facility Management and Staff