Angie's Blog

HealthCap® USA

Angie Szumlinski, NHA, RN-BC, RAC-CT and BS

Director of Risk Management

Angie SzumlinskiMs. Szumlinski is a nationally-recognized leader in long-term care with experience as an Owner/Provider, Administrator, Director of Nursing, Corporate Quality Assurance Coordinator and independent consultant. Ms. Szumlinski conducts risk management visits at facilities across the country, touching every acuity level within the post-acute care spectrum. Ms. Szumlinski served as an Associated Board Member for NCAL, is a member of the AHCA/NCAL Quality Committee, NCAL Risk Management Committee, HCAM Legal/Clinical Committee and is a Senior Examiner/Team Leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program. Ms. Szumlinski is a Nurse Planner for the HealthCap® ANCC accredited education program.

Illustration of medical staff in front of nursing home

Spotlight on HealthCap Heroes:

Angie Szumlinski Featured

Gladwin Pines Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Cheyenne Herron completely embodies the spirit that inspires our spotlight on HealthCap Heroes. Her fellow staff and residents both have been blessed by her loving dedication, and we are sharing her story to honor her for the amazing acts of kindness that she is doing on a daily basis: Have you ever met that …

NSAIDs or Acetaminophen

Angie Szumlinski Health, Studies

More people with fever and body aches are turning to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to ease symptoms, but the drugs have come under new scrutiny as investigators work to determine whether they are a safe way to relieve the pain of COVID-19 vaccination or symptoms of the disease. One theory is that NSAIDs alter susceptibility to infection by modifying angiotensin-converting …

Sequencing Cases – U.S. Lagging

Angie Szumlinski Health, News

The United States has the most coronavirus cases in the world but in sequencing cases to check for genetic changes, it lags at an astoundingly low rate. Of the more than 18 million cases officially reported in the U.S., just 51,212 or 0.3% have been genetically analyzed for variants. Worldwide, the United States ranks 43rd in percentage of cases sequenced …

Asthma and COVID-19 – Agree to Disagree

Angie Szumlinski Studies

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, both the CDC and the World Health Organization identified asthma patients as being at high risk for severe disease and hospitalization, but it soon became evident that this may not be the case when study after study showed little or no support for that conclusion. A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory …

Neurological Symptoms – COVID-19

Angie Szumlinski Health, News

A new database will collect information from clinicians about COVID-19 related neurological symptoms, complications, and outcomes as well as COVID-19 effects on pre-existing neurological conditions. The COVID-19 Neuro Databank/Biobank (NeuroCOVID), which was created and will be maintained by NYU Langone Health in New York City, will be a resource of clinical information as well as biospecimens from people of all …

ACIP Public Meetings

Angie Szumlinski Announcements, Featured

ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) has been responding to an ongoing pandemic and accelerated vaccine development through evidence-based recommendations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. civilian population. The COVID-19 Work Group meets weekly and the topics covered include: Safety updates COVID-19 in children Plans for clinical studies of COVID vaccine in children Plans for vaccine effectiveness …

Cooling Vests

Angie Szumlinski Featured, Studies

Researchers from the Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands have trialed cooling vests, originally designed for elite athletes, in nursing staff working long shifts in COVID19 wards wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE). The study found that among 386 healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 care, a high prevalence of: Thermal discomfort (77%), Excessive sweating (64%), Thirst/dehydration (81%), Headache (57%) …

Elderly woman in hospital bed

Frailty and Mortality COVID-19

Angie Szumlinski News

In a recent study, frailty is associated with all-cause mortality risk in older inpatients with COVID-19. Frailty is defined as the propensity to deteriorate in the face of a stressor. It reflects homeostatic reserve and physiological resilience or “biological age.” It is increasingly used to stratify clinical populations to reflect differing prognosis and clinical needs, in particular the need for …

Mask Times Two: The Question

Angie Szumlinski News

They say two heads are better than one; can the same be said for facemasks? The answer is yes, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. A study published in the peer-reviewed journal “Matter” in July found that wearing two masks could increase protection from virus particles by 50% up to 75%. It not only added …

Look to 2021 – Skilled Nursing News

Angie Szumlinski Featured, News

Each January, SNN tries to predict the top trends that will sweep the industry for the coming 12 months. COVID-19 completely wiped out the predictions they made for 2020, a year that began with the looming specter of clawbacks related to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), further Medicaid strain, and the potential over-extension of organizations that had sought to diversify …