Additional CDC Updates on COVID-19 … February 8 and 11, 2021

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CDC updates on COVID-19 information keep coming!  Here are 3 updates posted Thursday, February 11, 2021. When You Can be Around Others After You Had or Likely Had COVID-19 provides updated guidance on several scenarios: I think or know I had COVID-19, and I had symptomsI…… Continue reading Additional CDC Updates on COVID-19 … February 8 and 11, 2021

Update to the PDPM Grouper DLL Package Posted

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On February 4, 2021, CMS posted an update to the PDPM Grouper DLL.  I wanted LTC/MDS Coordinators to be aware of this – no action is needed on your part. “This is NOT a change to the previously posted DLL file itself, just supporting information.  The…… Continue reading Update to the PDPM Grouper DLL Package Posted

CMS Updates COVID-19 FAQs on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS updated the COVID-19 FAQs on Medicare FFS Billing on February 8, 2021. This is currently a 167-page document. Each Q&A is dated within this document.  The most recent updates are: L. Ambulance: Data Collection and Reporting Requirements for the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System…… Continue reading CMS Updates COVID-19 FAQs on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing

FDA Authorizes Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of COVID-19

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On February 9, 2021 the FDA announced that an emergency use authorization (EUA) has been issued for “bamlanivimab and etesevimab to be administered together for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age or older weighing at least…… Continue reading FDA Authorizes Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of COVID-19

CMS Updates Visitation at ICF/IIDs and PRTFs During Public Health Emergency

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On February 10, 2021, CMS posted updated visitation guidance … QSO-21-14-ICF/IID & PRTF for Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IIDs) and Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs).  This is a 10-page memorandum. This guidance is significant in that it is the 1st readdressing of…… Continue reading CMS Updates Visitation at ICF/IIDs and PRTFs During Public Health Emergency

Hospices: Create an Effective Plan of Care

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare In the February 11, 2021 edition of  MLN Connects, you’ll find this posting of valuable hospice resources (information in brackets added by me): An Office of Inspector General (OIG) report [38 pages – July 2019] found that most hospices have at least one deficiency in their…… Continue reading Hospices: Create an Effective Plan of Care

Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On February 10, 2021, MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) posted an early release of Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure. “Controlling SARS-CoV-2 transmission is critical not only to reduce the widespread effects of the…… Continue reading Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure

Recent Updated COVID-19 Information from CDC

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On February 10, 2021, CDC updated Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States.  All the updates are significant and should be reviewed.  I want to point out the 4th bullet that updates quarantine recommendations for fully vaccinated persons…… Continue reading Recent Updated COVID-19 Information from CDC

NHSN POCT Reporting + Upcoming NHSN Webinar(s)

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare In addition to the tools NHSN posted February 4, 2021, NHSN has posted a slide deck for the Point of Care Test (POCT) Reporting Tool for COVID-19.  The training slide deck references the updated February 4th tool and also carries a date of February 11, 2021…… Continue reading NHSN POCT Reporting + Upcoming NHSN Webinar(s)