AHRQ Patient Safety Chartbook

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

The Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality recently published the “ChartBook on Patient Safety.” This document is part of a family of documents and tools that support the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (QDR) which is an annual report to Congress mandated in the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999. The QDR provides a comprehensive overview of the …

Discharge Planning

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

There has been a lot of discussion on how to safely manage a discharge to home during visitation restrictions. As with any discharge, the risks associated with an “incomplete” or “bad” discharge are huge! One example: a resident with a cardiac valve replacement enters a skilled nursing facility for rehab. There is no visitation other than window visits and/or Zoom/Facetime …

Refusing to Wear Masks

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

What can you do? The rules on mask wearing and source control have now come to a rough consensus. Masks are now mandatory in most states and service can be denied to anyone entering a facility without a mask. There are currently no cases or court decisions on whether it is negligence to allow an unmasked person to remain in …

CMS Revisions

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

On July 9th the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revised the April 24th : QSO Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System updates, Nursing Home Staff Counts, Frequently Asked Questions, and Access to Ombudsman (REVISED). This was to remind facilities that providing ombudsman access to residents is required per 42 CFR § 483.10(f)(4)(i) and per the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security …

Mask Exemption – Probably Not!

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

Yes, we are all required to wear masks in most parts of the country if we are indoors or in crowded, outdoor locations. The CDC recommendations state “cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance”. If you …

Facemask/PPE Do’s and Don’ts

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

As we continue to navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic, many healthcare professionals are becoming numb when it comes to using facemasks. Many of us have been very successful at protecting our residents from the spread of the virus but now is not the time to lower our standards or relax infection control best practices. Here are a few reminders for …

Corona Virus - Microbiology And Virology Concept - 3d Rendering

Point of Care Testing – Are You Prepared?

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

Last week, Administrator Verma held a nursing home call announcing that “Point of Care” testing will be made available to all long-term care facilities in the country, beginning with those located in high-risk hot spots first. The Quidel Corporation’s Sofia 2 SARS Antigen Fluorescent Immunoassay (FIA) received an emergency use authorization from the FDA on May 8, 2020, and is …

Protective Eyewear – CDC Update

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, Compliance

On July 15, 2020, the CDC announced a change to the Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for HealthCare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. Eye protection is an important part of PPE in preventing unnecessary exposure. As with any point of entry into the body (i.e., nose, mouth, broken skin, etc.) the eyes are considered high risk …

Video Cameras – Remote IC Surveys

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

The question of “should we be using video cameras?” is one we hear frequently, should we have them, should we not, can we use them in common areas, can residents have them in their rooms, etc.? In a few venues, the law requires a provider to allow video cameras in resident rooms, but in most states, the law is silent …

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CMS Memo Regarding Surveillance Issued

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

The new memo outlines a performance-based funding requirement tied to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act supplemental grants for State Survey Agencies, new guidance for the limited resumption of routine survey activities and enhanced penalties for noncompliance with infection control. You can read the new memo here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-20-31-all.pdf