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News related to "covid-19"
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What Waivers Are Still in Place Now that the Peacetime Emergency is Over?
On July 7, 2021 by Jonathan Lips
With Minnesota's COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency ending July 1, a question on members' minds is what waivers are still in place and for how long. We do not have a lot of detail yet, but here is a summary of what we currently know.
Vaccination Rates Moving Slowly Toward Goal for Long-Term Care Staff
On June 30, 2021 by Jeff Bostic
The most recent Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) update on long-term care vaccination shows slow progress toward the goal rates continuing for staff, while resident rates remain outstanding.
Peacetime Emergency to End July 1
On June 30, 2021 by Jonathan Lips
After nearly 16 months, the State’s Peacetime Emergency will end on July 1. A deal was struck between legislative leaders to end emergency powers in exchange for several stipulations related to food benefits, state COVID-19 staffing, and vaccination efforts. Just last week, Gov. Walz announced at a press conference that he intended to end the emergency peacetime declaration on Aug. 1, but this end-of-session bargaining moved up the timeline.
CMS Extends Flexibility on Emergency Preparedness Exercises
On June 23, 2021 by Jonathan Lips
CMS has extended a regulatory flexibility relating to emergency preparedness exercises.
Under CMS regulations, nursing facilities are required to conduct two emergency preparedness testing exercises annually – with exercises alternating between full-scale functional exercises and exercises of choice (mock drill, table-top exercise, workshop).
OSHA Issues Temporary Emergency Standard for Healthcare Settings
On June 16, 2021 by Jonathan Lips
The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on June 10 issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare workers from contracting coronavirus.
Resilience Tips: Give to Get Resilience
On June 16, 2021 by LeadingAge
Featuring Dr. Alyson VanAhn from Associated Clinic of Psychology
Do you know some of the quickest ways to get resilience have to do with giving a tiny bit yourself? Research shows that gratitude and acts of kindness not only impact others positively, but they give you a boost of goodness, sometimes for months. Goodness here means energy, reduced stress, improved overall well-being, including physical and mental health!
Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Guidance Released
On June 16, 2021 by Jeff Bostic
Late Friday, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) put out long-awaited guidance with specific timelines for reporting on the use of PRF dollars received by providers. The guidance addresses both how long providers have to use funds and when the use of the funds must be reported. The first reporting period opens on July 1 and must be completed by Sept. 30 and covers funds received before June 30, 2020. Those funds must be used by June 30 of this year, but funds received later have future deadlines for use.
Bipartisan Agreement Reached to Phase Out Eviction Moratorium
On June 16, 2021 by Kari Thurlow
Minnesota legislators announced on Monday an agreement to end Gov. Tim Walz's eviction moratorium over the next three-and-a-half months. The eviction moratorium has been in place since March 2020, when the governor used executive powers to ban evictions except in extreme circumstances. The agreement still needs to be approved by legislators, but the vote could occur later this week. The bipartisan deal creates a phased eviction moratorium off-ramp, with some protections lasting into June 2022. Governor Walz has said he will rescind the moratorium once a legislative solution is passed.
Learning Opportunity on Use of Monoclonal Antibody Therapies for COVID-19
On June 9, 2021 by Jonathan Lips
LeadingAge, AHCA, and AMDA are jointly collaborating with the federal COVID response team to hold a live event, “Update on the Use of Monoclonal Antibody (mAB) Therapies for COVID-19: A Review of New Treatments and At-Risk Populations.” The event is set for June 15 at 2 p.m. CDT.
Steps to Allow Singing and Wind Instrument Musicians in Long-term Care
On June 9, 2021 by Kari Everson
According to recent guidance, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) allows music activities and performance in long-term care settings and recommends several steps to ensure the safety of residents, staff and performers.
CMS Enforcement of Vaccination Reporting Begins June 14
On June 9, 2021 by Jonathan Lips
Beginning Monday, June 14, CMS will issue citations and mandatory fines to nursing homes that have not submitted the required vaccination-related data to CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network.
Last Two Sessions for COVID-19 Vaccine Ambassador Training
On June 2, 2021 by Jenna Kellerman
Monday, June 7 and Thursday, June 10 are the final sessions scheduled for our COVID-19 Vaccine Ambassador training. The training is free. If you’re interested in signing up, please email Jenna Kellerman to register by June 4.
Resilience Tip: Embracing Burnout and Bouncing Back
On June 2, 2021 by LeadingAge
Featuring Dr. Alyson VanAhn from Associated Clinic of Psychology
We've talked about resilience as "bouncing back" from hardship for many months now. But what does it mean to try bouncing back when actual burnout has set in? How about keeping up with leadership and management roles when you feel less able to keep organized and optimistic as we try to move forward?
Vaccination Rates Remaining Short of Goal for Long-Term Care Staff
On June 2, 2021 by Jeff Bostic
LeadingAge Minnesota has pulled together recent data on vaccination rates, both for long-term care staff in Minnesota and the general population in Minnesota. While progress is continuing in the general population, the pace of improvement in long-term care has slowed recently.
EEOC Updates Guidance Regarding Vaccines
On June 2, 2021 by Kari Thurlow
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its COVID-19 guidance regarding employers and COVID-19 vaccines. The expanded guidance provides new information about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply when an employer offers incentives for employees to confirm vaccination when an employee gets a vaccine in the community or from the employer or its agent. The critical updates to the guidance are as follows:
Join the ECHO Collaborative
On May 26, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran
The Upper Midwest Nursing Home COVID-19 ECHO Collaborative invites you to join the ECHO community.
Drop into one of our Minnesota Training Center weekly 60-minute real-time interactive sessions. Prior participation is not required. Sessions are open to participants from both skilled nursing and assisted living.
Vaccination Rates Moving Closer to Goal for Long-Term Care Staff
On May 26, 2021 by Jeff Bostic
LeadingAge Minnesota has pulled together recent data on vaccination rates, both for long-term care staff in Minnesota as well as the general population in Minnesota.
Lifting of Restrictions at Adult Day Centers
On May 26, 2021 by Roni Falck
Effective May 28, 2021, DHS is lifting all COVID-19 restrictions issued by DHS for operating adult day centers.
FAQ: Can I Correct NHSN Data Once It Is Submitted?
On May 19, 2021 by Jonathan Lips
With CMS announcing that it will make public vaccination rate data submitted by nursing homes to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network, it reminds us of the need for providers to ensure accurate data reporting.
Resilience Tip: One Thing at a Time
On May 19, 2021 by LeadingAge
Featuring Dr. Alyson VanAhn from Associated Clinic of Psychology
By now, you’ve probably been bombarded with one stress after another. And then you hear one way to handle it after another. Resilience isn’t about doing anything perfectly or all at once.