LeadingAge Continues Federal Advocacy on PPE

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Jonathan Lips

Six weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it would coordinate a shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE), totaling a 14-day supply, to Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes across the United States, significant numbers of facilities across the country still have not received a shipment. Some that have received supplies have found them to be low quality, even expired in some cases, or delivered in quantities smaller than expected. 

In response, our LeadingAge national colleagues have taken action. LeadingAge President & CEO, Katie Smith Sloan, sent a letter to Vice President Pence requesting that he personally investigate mounting evidence of these problems, and requesting clear and communications about what facilities can expect and when to expect it.

The LeadingAge national staff also met with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Health Care Resilience Team and the FEMA national supply chain representative to understand better what exactly is going on with distributions of PPE to nursing homes. Here are a few take-aways:

• Hanes Cloth Masks: Nursing homes, including some in Minnesota, have received boxes of masks labeled by Hanes and made of t-shirt material.  These non-surgical masks are meant for COVID patient care. They are separate from HHS/CDC/and FEMA. These masks come in packets of five and truly are contributed by Hanes.
• FEMA Packages Don’t say FEMA on Them: They are being shipped via UPS and are marked with the CMS logo on four sides, but not on the top and bottom.  No explanatory letter or material is included, so recipients may not realize what they are when they arrive. 
• Gowns: Some shipments have included blue gowns that look like tarps; according to FEMA, these gowns are FDA approved to be at the highest Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) certified level; AAMI sets standards for this kind of equipment.
• How to contact FEMA for nursing homes that did not receive a FEMA PPE package or received defective materials: Nursing home providers who have concerns – for example, not receiving a PPE package, an amount that seems really wrong for your number of staff, or defective materials can contact: Federal Resources, www.federalresources.com or call Customer Service at 1.800.892.1099.

If your organization is struggling to source supplies, LeadingAge Minnesota has identified a short list of manufacturers producing personal protective equipment that may help you fulfill your needs during this public health emergency.