LeadingAge Minnesota

CMS Updates Nursing Home Survey Tools for Staff Vaccination Mandate

On January 27, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

Thursday, Jan. 27, marks Minnesota's Phase 1 compliance deadline for the CMS staff vaccination rule. Surveyors are now reviewing for nursing home compliance with this requirement on all initial certification, standard recertification surveys, and all complaint surveys, regardless of what issue the complaint involves. 

OSHA Withdraws Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard

On January 27, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

OSHA has officially withdrawn its Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision forbidding OHSA from enforcing it. The standard would have applied to all employers with 100 or more employees and required businesses to implement a vaccine mandate or weekly testing option for all employees.

Health Care Worker Return-to-Work FAQs

On January 20, 2022 by Kari Everson

The CDC released revisions to their Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel (HCW) Staffing Shortages on Dec. 23, 2021, significantly changing the return to work guidance for staff who experience high-risk exposures. Several questions have come up in the past few weeks regarding the complexities of the guidance.

Abbott Extends Use of BinaxNOW Antigen Testing Cards

On January 20, 2022 by Kari Everson

Abbott labs petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week to extend the use life of their BinaxNOW antigen testing cards, and the FDA approved the change.

MDH Reinstates Flexibility Concerning Bed Capacity for COVID-Related Needs

On January 20, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

Last week, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued a Notice to Minnesota Health Care Providers of Optional COVID-19 Relief with relevance for hospitals and nursing homes.

US Supreme Court Upholds CMS Vaccine Mandate, Strikes Down OSHA Vaccine-or-Test Rule

On January 13, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

Nursing homes subject to CMS Rule; Mandate does not apply to assisted living or other HCBS settings

Last Friday, the US Supreme Court heard lengthy oral arguments concerning challenges to the CMS Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination rule and OSHA Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). Both of these cases were before the court on emergency petitions to determine whether injunctions should be in place, pending trials on the merits of challenges to the respective rules.

Recent CDC Guidance on Healthcare Workers Who Test Positive for COVID-19

On January 13, 2022 by Kari Everson

In the recent CDC guidance revisions, there were notable changes in the return-to-work guidance for healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19. The guidance is divided into three options depending on whether the organization is in conventional staffing, contingency staffing, or crisis staffing. 

Recent CED Guidance on Exposed Healthcare Workers And Return To Work

On January 13, 2022 by Kari Everson

The CDC released revisions to their Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel (HCW) Staffing Shortages on Dec. 23, 2021. There are significant changes to return to work for staff who experience high-risk exposures in the recent update.

Recommendations for Moderna Booster Dose Modified

On January 13, 2022 by Kari Everson

On Jan. 7, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modified their recommendations for when a booster dose of the Moderna vaccine should be administered, and the CDC has published updated information. The booster recommendations are the same for both Pfizer and Moderna with this update.

DHS Issuing Temporary 2022 Care Center Rates and Providing Additional Emergency Aid Opportunity

On January 13, 2022 by Jeff Bostic

Critical Steps Support SNF Operations; Advocacy for Assisted Living Continues

Earlier this week, Gov. Tim Walz announced two new steps his administration will take to offer financial assistance for care centers as the battle against COVID-19 continues.

Second Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period Opens Jan. 6, 2021

On January 6, 2022 by Jeff Bostic

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently opened the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting portal for providers to begin entering data to submit their second period PRF reports. Second period reports cover PRF payments from July 1 – Dec. 31, 2020, including Phase 2 and Phase 3 general distributions and nursing home infection control distributions and incentive payments. The deadline to submit the second period report is March 31, 2022.

Providers Must Continue Preparation for Implementation of CMS Vaccination Mandate

On January 6, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

As previously reported, CMS has announced that it will begin enforcing its Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination mandate for facilities located in all states where the rule is not currently blocked by a legal injunction, including Minnesota. CMS has not published new information over the past several days, but we wanted to share what we know for any readers who missed our story last week.

MDH Discusses Revised CDC Guidance: Return to Work, Expanded Staffing Strategies

On December 30, 2021 by Kari Everson

On the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) long-term care call this week, the Department discussed the updated CDC guidance released on Dec. 23. It appears the CDC guidance will be adopted for our settings. MDH reported it is the intention of CMS to revise the current memos to be in alignment with this guidance. The publication timeline for updated CMS memo(s) is unknown.

CDC Revised Return to Work Guidance

On December 30, 2021 by Kari Everson

Updated return-to-work guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has significantly changed from its last release. In the updated information, return to work is based upon several different variables including those who test positive, those who have been exposed, the staffing situation within the organization, and the vaccination and booster status of the health care worker (HCW).

OSHA Withdraws COVID-19 Healthcare Standard but Strongly Encourages Continued Compliance; Vaccine Standard Remains Intact

On December 30, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that it is withdrawing the non-record keeping portions of the COVID-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard ETS (the “Healthcare ETS”) the agency issued in June 2021. This standard establishes various protections for workers in settings where healthcare and health support services are provided and is separate from the vaccination or testing requirement issued by OSHA in early November.

FDA Issues EUA for Pfizer drug Paxlovid, the First Oral Antiviral Treatment of COVID-19

On December 23, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-developed drug Paxlovid, the First Oral Antiviral Treatment of COVID-19.

Work Underway to Implement 1000+ New CNA Pipeline Initiative

On December 23, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman

Gov. Tim Walz announced a new initiative to recruit, train, and deploy at least 1,000 new certified nursing assistants for Minnesota long-term care facilities experiencing staffing shortages by the end of January. LeadingAge Minnesota and our Long-Term Care Imperative played a critical role in advocating for this initiative.

Resource Roundup: Emergency Staffing Resources

On December 23, 2021 by Kari Everson

You have various emergency staffing resources available should you need to utilize them during the holidays.

This time of year, your senior care communities are full of fun and festivity as family and friends celebrate with the residents you serve. While joyous, vigilance is essential; the increase in visitors during this period of high transition and increased prevalence of the Omicron variant poses potential complications.

Update on Status and Implementation of CMS and OSHA Vaccine Mandates

On December 23, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

Our team is keeping a close watch for news about the CMS staff vaccination mandate and the OSHA vaccine-or-test emergency temporary standard. Here is the latest information about the status and enforcement of these two requirements.

Federal Government Starts Distributing Phase Four Provider Relief Funds (PRF)

On December 16, 2021 by Jeff Bostic

This week the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) began distributing the $17 billion in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 funding to a broad range of health care providers, including care centers, assisted living, and adult day providers who experienced revenue loss and increased expenses associated with the pandemic.