CMS has posted updated COVID-19 data for the week ending October 4, 2020. County positivity rates dated October 13, 2020 are also available. This is data from September 24-October 7, 2020. (Remember you can also access past county activity rates in the archives.) Facilities should monitor these rates every other week and adjust staff … Read More
Tips for the PBJ pro — Get ready for the Nov. 14 deadline!
COVID-19 has dominated the news — and the senior care industry. Over the past few months, CMS has issued waivers, updated waivers, and repealed waivers. Amidst this COVID chaos is confusion over what PBJ Staffing data is currently posted on Nursing Home Compare. Is it Q1?…Q2? When do you see … Read More
CDC COVID-19 updates: First full week of October 2020
CDC was busy updating COVID-19 guidance/website late last week: Clinical Care Guidance for Healthcare Professionals about Coronavirus (COVID-19) No details provided on what was updated but this is a good site to bookmark for future reference. Flowchart for management of HCWs with exposure to a person with COVID-19 Interim Guidelines … Read More
Version 11 – Toolkit on state actions to mitigate COVID-19 prevalence in NHs available
The latest version – 11 of this toolkit was recently posted. This version is 186 pages, up 10 pages from Version 10. This toolkit catalogs the many innovative solutions designed at the state level to protect our nation’s vulnerable nursing home residents during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Beginning with this new 11th … Read More
CMS takes action to protect integrity of COVID-19 testing
On Friday, October 9, 2020 (late in the afternoon), CMS announced that it is “is taking every action to ensure U.S. laboratories are fit to deliver reliable, accurate and timely patient test results for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by confirming Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) certifications are up- … Read More