This Commission is seeking public comments on best practices from the LTC industry, but you have a limited window to submit your comments – 5pm (ET) on Friday, July 17, 2020.
The announcement came late in the day on July 9, 2020. The Public Engagement portal looks like this:
If you chose the 1st option, this next screen appears:
Selecting the 2nd option shows as (note the 500-character limit):
Options 3 and 4 provide this:
I strongly encourage LTC providers, clinicians and staff members to utilize this Public Engagement opportunity! Make your voices heard – now is NOT the time to be silent.
Also check out this FAQ website regarding the Commission. You’ll find lots of Q&A regarding the Commission as well as the MITRE Corporation. Here are three:
What is the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes?
The Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes (the “Commission”) is an independent entity created to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the nursing home response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Commission will inform efforts to safeguard the health and quality of life of vulnerable Americans as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to battle COVID-19, as well as prepare for future threats to resident safety and public health.
What are the Commission’s specific focus areas?
The Commission is tasked to:
- Identify best practices for facilities to enable rapid and effective identification and mitigation of transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in nursing homes.
- Recommend best practices as exemplars of rigorous infection control practices and facility resiliency that can serve as a framework for enhanced oversight and quality monitoring activities.
- Endeavor to identify best practices for improved care delivery and responsiveness to the needs of all nursing home residents in preparation for, during, and following an emergency.
- Leverage new sources of data to improve existing infection control policies and enable coordination across federal surveyors, contractors, and state and local entities to mitigate coronavirus infection and future emergencies.
Nursing homes are regulated, yet many violations occur annually. How will a Commission report improve execution of these standards?
Commission members have experience and expertise in every part of the research- to-policy-to-bedside lifecycle. We anticipate that the Commission’s recommendations will reflect that systems-level understanding.
MITRE’s experience tells us that while not all recommendations may be taken up by a governmental agency requesting a report, the recipients do take these reports seriously. CMS has requested this Commission to provide actionable recommendations so it can benefit from the input of additional experts as it works to protect the safety and quality of life of nursing home residents and those who serve them.
Speak up folks! The door to do so is open just one short week.
Want to keep up with the changing COVID-19 situation in skilled nursing?