Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (4/21)

ASPR TRACIE (part of the US Department of Health and Human Services) received a request for information on clinical presentation, disease progression, and related information from clinicians in the field treating COVID-19 patients after the acute phase of the virus has passed, frequently referred to as “COVID long haulers.”   …

COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Health Care Workers and Other Front-Line Workers (4/21)

Interim Estimates of Vaccine Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Health Care Personnel, First Responders, and Other Essential and Frontline Workers — Eight U.S. Locations, December 2020–March 2021   Weekly / April 2, 2021 / 70(13);495–500 Summary   What is already known about this topic? …

COVID-19 Discharges: Keys to Preventing Hospital Readmissions

While data on hospital readmissions of skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents who have had COVID-19 following SNF discharge currently remains scarce, at least one study indicates the need for careful management of the discharge planning process for these residents. Discharge to a SNF from the acute-care hospital, age greater than …

CMS Will Use Resident Acuity to Target Weekend Surveys for Nursing Homes With Potential Staffing Problems, and Other Staffing News From the OIG (3/21)

CMS Use of Data on Nursing Home Staffing: Progress and Opportunities To Do More (OEI-04-18-00451) The OIG has made four key recommendations related to staffing that CMS concurred with. These recommendations state that CMS should: Provide data to consumers on nurse staff turnover and tenure, as required by Federal law To …

Visiting Loved Ones in a Nursing Home – English and Spanish Graphic Available (3/21)

On March 10, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued updated guidance for nursing homes to safely expand visitation options during the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency (PHE). Today, CMS is releasing a graphic to further explain the expanded …

AHRQ: High Nursing Staff Turnover in Nursing Homes Offers Important Quality Information (3/21)

High nursing staff turnover in nursing homes offers important quality information Gandhi A, Yu H, Grabowski DC. Health Aff (Millwood). 2021 Prior research has found that high nursing staff turnover is associated with lower patient safety culture. Starting in July 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began collecting daily …

Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination (3/21)

Updated Mar. 10, 2021 Find the most recent update here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-after-vaccination.html CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may be adapted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. On this page Visitation Work restriction for asymptomatic healthcare personnel and quarantine for asymptomatic patients and residents SARS-CoV-2 Testing …

AAPACN Onboarding Essentials: Welcoming Staff to Promote Retention Tool

Retaining a talented workforce is a top priority; to achieve this goal, leaders must create a welcoming onboarding experience. This toolkit presents education for department managers and administration as well as tools leaders can use to facilitate onboarding.   For permission to use or reproduce this tool in full or …

Pitfalls of Missing Shortness of Breath Documentation

Chronic conditions and comorbidities are common among both long-term residents and short-term patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). However, when the symptoms from these chronic conditions become part of the resident’s normal routine, they may be under-charted—which could result in inaccuracies in MDS assessments, care plans, Quality Measures, and reimbursement. …