Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare During a meeting with members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team on October 17, 2022, leaders from healthcare associations across the country were asked to educate their members and stakeholders about the importance, effectiveness and accessibility of the COVID-19 bivalent booster and the therapeutics available…… Continue reading COVID-19 Vaccination and Therapeutics in PALTC Toolkit: Resources for Clinicians     

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The FDA posted this news release on Friday, January 6, 2023. Today, the FDA posted an update that the agency is closely monitoring the emergence of the XBB.1.5 subvariant, a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant that is currently estimated to account for 28% of circulating variants in the U.S. Because of its…… Continue reading FDA Update: Agency Closely Monitoring Emergence of XBB.1.5 Subvariant

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Before you get anxious, thinking that this blog is announcing the end of the PHE – it’s not.  The PHE declaration is still in place as evidenced by the January 5, 2023 CMCS Informational Bulletin: Key Dates Related to the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition.  Towards the…… Continue reading Unwinding and Returning to Regular Operations after COVID-19   

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the latest nursing home COVID-19 data for the week ending December 18, 2022. Comparing the December 18th data to the November 27th data shows these changes: Resident primary vaccination completion rate decreased 0.3% during these 3 weeks Residents up to date with vaccines increased 2.6% during…… Continue reading Latest CMS, NHSN and CDC Nursing Home COVID-19 Data

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare “Since it was established on April 23, 2020, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis has been investigating the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Select Subcommittee’s work has produced an extensive investigative record. The committee has released 37…… Continue reading Preparing for and Preventing the Next Public Health Emergency: Lessons Learned from the Coronavirus Crisis

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the latest nursing home COVID-19 data for the week ending November 27, 2022. Comparing the November 27th data to the November 20th data shows these changes: Resident primary vaccination completion rate decreased 0.2% this week Residents up to date with vaccines increased 0.5% Staff primary vaccination…… Continue reading Latest CMS, CDC and NHSN Nursing Home COVID-19 Data

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare COVID-19 vaccination provides protection against serious illness and outcomes associated with COVID-19, including emergency department or urgent care visits, hospitalizations, and death. Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, containing original and Omicron BA.4/5 spike protein components, help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination. During this COCA Call,…… Continue reading Clinical Guidance and Patient Education for Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines COCA Call  

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the nursing home COVID-19 data for the week ending November 20, 2022. Comparing the November 20th data to the November 13th data shows these changes: Resident primary vaccination completion rate decreased 0.1% this week Residents up to date with vaccines increased 0.8% – same as the…… Continue reading Latest CMS, NHSN and CDC COVID-19 Nursing Home Data Posted

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This is the subtitle of a November 28, 2022 Washington Post article – a must read for all healthcare workers and frankly, all U.S. citizens. “And while older Americans have consistently been the worst hit during the crisis, as evident in the scores of early nursing…… Continue reading Nearly 9 Out of 10 Deaths Now in People 65 or Older – the Highest Rate Since the Pandemic

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Attorneys General of 22 states have signed a 39-page petition to the HHS Secretary and the CMS Administrator as of November 17, 2022. “The undersigned Attorneys General submit the attached petition under 5 U.S.C. § 553(e) to request that the U.S. Department of Health and…… Continue reading 22 States Request Repeal of COVID-19 HC Worker Staff Vaccination Mandate