Surveillance Testing Transition Information

 

To: Residential care facilities (skilled nursing facilities, assisted living residences, group homes, intermediate care facilities)   From: HFEMS Residential Care Strike Team   The residential care strike team would like to thank you for your patience during the transition to MAKO, CSU, and the state lab for COVID-19 testing. Currently, testing for facilities that were not in outbreak status will begin next week. On 1/28/21 MAKO labs sent out communication to all facilities partnered with their lab. That communication included information on how to test with MAKO; however, please note that the original email from MAKO did not include login credentials for your account with them. You will receive your account information over the weekend. Please make sure to get them your preferred testing day.   If you are partnered with MAKO and did not receive that email, details for testing with MAKO can be found on the residential care strike team testing page - MAKO. If you are partnered with the state lab, an email was sent to all facilities on 1/28/21. Details and regional contacts for testing with the state lab can be found on the residential care strike team testing page - state lab. If you are partnered with CSU, please continue to communicate with them as you have in the past. As testing begins next week, please continue to stay in close communication with both the strike team and the lab you have been partnered with. The strike team will continue to send out communications to ensure this transition goes as smoothly as possible.    Please note that facilities part of larger networks may have been assigned to different labs from other facilities in their network. At this time, we are unable to accommodate requests to change a facility’s lab assignment.   Contact information for all partners are below:   Residential Care Strike Team residentialcarestriketeam@state.co.us MAKO Medical Natalie Aragonez – Nara@makomedical.com Scott Ross – Sross1@makomedical.com   State Lab cdphe_labcoordinators@state.co.us   CSU Lab Brianna Dupre <Bri.Dupre@colostate.edu> Nicole Ehrhart - nicole.ehrhart@colostate.edu Kristy Pabilonia - Kristy.Pabilonia@colostate.edu

MDS January/February 2021 Newsletter

 

To: Federally Certified Skilled Nursing Facilities Administrators, Directors of Nursing, MDS Coordinators, Billing and Coding Personnel, Licensed Nursing Facilities Administrators    From: The Health Facilities Education and Quality (HFEQ) Branch of the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division (HFEMSD)   New monthly MDS Newsletter   Attachment: MDS January/February 2021 Newsletter References: MDS 3.0 Basics Provider Training     Other questions? Contact wendy.castro@state.co.us

Unlicensed air ambulance companies

 

To: Hospital Stakeholders   From: HFEMSD HFEMSD has become aware of hospitals using unlicensed air ambulance companies for patient transports originating at their facilities. Any air ambulance transportation arranged by the hospital to transport patients in the State of Colorado is required to have a State of Colorado issued license. Transfers of patients from a Colorado hospital without proper air ambulance licensing are a violation of Section 25-3.5-307, C.R.S. and 6 CCR 1015-3, Chapter Five. If you are unsure if an air ambulance company is licensed in Colorado, you can instantly verify license status via this website (https://colorado.emsbridge.com/licensure/public/colorado/portal#/lookup)Under "Type" select "Services", then search by name, or simply enter "air" in the name field for a list.    If a facility is using any unlicensed air ambulance transport companies, stop use immediately and take measures to ensure all staff who are involved in coordinating air ambulance transports are aware of this notification and are educated on the immediate need to discontinue use of any unlicensed transportation companies.    As a reminder, all hospitals are required to follow Chapter 4 regulations which includes: STANDARDS FOR HOSPITALS AND HEALTH FACILITIES CHAPTER 4 -GENERAL HOSPITALS 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter 4, Section 6.102(5) PROGRAMMATIC FUNCTIONS: The governing board shall ensure that the patients receive care in a safe setting.   For any questions, please reach out to Erica Brudjar, Acute Care Section Manager at erica.brudjar@state.co.us

Vaccine FAQ for Phase 1 Employers and Long Term Care Facilities

 

To: Residential care facilities (Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities)   From: CDPHE   The decision to get vaccinated protects more than just an individual’s health. It can also help protect coworkers, residents, families, and communities. Vaccination is an important tool to help stop the pandemic. To answer some of the more frequent and complex LTCF vaccine questions, we’ve put together a vaccine FAQ for Phase 1 employers and Long Term Care Facilities.   We understand there may be some concern over the safety of these new vaccines, but want to assure you that the development of these vaccines is the result of focused, collaborative work performed by experts across the globe. Visit covid19.colorado.gov/ltcf for a full list of LTCF guidelines, forms, resources, and more.   Questions can be directed to the Residential Care Strike Team.

Surveillance Testing Transition Update

 

To: Residential care facilities (Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities)   From: HFEMS Residential Care Strike Team   We want to thank you for your patience and cooperation as we onboard new laboratories and work through operational challenges.   As a friendly reminder, we request you remember to check your spam/junk folders.   Important Notes & Transition Summary: Curative is being replaced by testing at the State lab, MAKO Medical, and the CSU lab. Lab assignments have been finalized. That information will come to your facility via email by Monday, February 1st. If you have not received that information by the deadline, please contact residentialcarestiketeam@state.co.us. Facilities may continue using a private lab as long as it is compliant with Public Health Order 20-20 requirements. Outbreak facilities were contacted by the State Lab on Monday to resume testing immediately. Several facilities have indicated they received testing supplies from CovidCheck. We have confirmed that these supplies are not from CovidCheck, but Covichek, which come from the State lab. Before we were aware these supplies were from Covichek, we instructed facilities not to use them. Please move forward with using the testing supplies from Covichek. Email cdphe_labcoordinators@state.co.us to receive rapid/antigen supplies to test symptomatic individuals or if your facility is in outbreak status and is not testing with the state lab.   Logistics:   By the end of this week, you should have received an onboarding email with instructions to resume testing. Please remember to check your junk/spam folders for these messages. If you haven’t received any onboarding communication by 2 p.m. on Monday, February 1, please notify the Residential Care Strike Team. Courier and shipping changes if your lab is Mako:  In the onboarding email, you will be asked to choose a specific day of the week to have tests picked up by a courier. Instructions for adding pickups during outbreaks are included in this email. Mako couriers picking up completed tests will carry testing supplies and refill your stock during each pickup, which means you won’t have to fill out reorder forms and wait for those shipments. To take advantage of this, be sure to request additional supplies at pickup time.   Curative Testing Kits:   We understand that many of you are unsure of what to do with the leftover used and unused Curative supplies. Curative will be reaching out this week with further instruction for testing kit return shipping. Please do not throw them in the trash. Our State labs do not have the capacity to store these kits. We will follow up on instructions if you do not hear from Curative this week.   Frequently Asked Questions:   Q. Will my facility be penalized for the gap in surveillance testing during this transition? A. No. Facilities will NOT be penalized for the gap in testing compliance caused by the transition. However, once the new labs are up and running, facilities must work to resume testing as soon as possible. For those facilities that do not have an acceptable testing plan, health facilities inspectors may take the appropriate action. Q. Do I have to continue surveillance testing even after all my staff and residents receive the vaccine? A. Yes. The guidance remains the same currently. The hope is that once vaccine usage becomes more widespread both in facilities and in the community, the guidance will change.  Q. What type of swab will it be? A. All new swabbing will be anterior nasal swabbing, which is the lower nostril area. NP swabbing, or the “brain tickler” type, will not be necessary. Q. Will there be a cost to our facility to use the new partner? A. No. Testing through State partners will continue to be free of charge. We have created a surveillance testing transition webpage as a centralized location for the testing information we are sending out through the portal. As always, questions can be directed to the Residential Care Strike Team.

Testing Supply Update From CDPHE

 

To: All Long Term Care Facilities   From: Laboratory Services Division? Residential Care Strike Force?   Body of Message:   Hello,   You are receiving this message because you recently received COVID-19 testing supplies from the Colorado State Lab, to replace Curative supplies, so your facility can continue testing staff and residence.    Since these supplies may be new to you, or it has been a while since you have used these types of swabs, we wanted to provide some guidance! These swabs can be used to collect patient samples and sent to either the CDPHE state lab or the Mako lab for lab processing.    You received Sorfa Swab Kits.  Click here to see an image of the Sorfa Swab Kits.    These are typically used as Nasopharyngeal (NP) Swabs, though you can also use them as 'nasal' or anterior nares (AN) swabs to collect samples.    **Since the NP swabs are a bit more flimsy than the normal AN swabs, if you use them on the anterior nares portion of the nostril, please make sure that you hold the swab closer to the foam tip and ensure that you collect a good sample from the patient.    For additional information about this swab kit or collecting patient samples, please review our Guidance Document for specimen collection and swab types. Included in the document is our Courier Request Form which may be used to order a courier to pick up samples from your facility. Courier services operate 7 days per week and can pick up samples on holidays if needed.   For additional questions, please reach out to our lab coordination team: cdphe_labcoordinators@state.co.us, or work with Mako to obtain new supplies.

MDS 3.0 Basics for Providers Virtual Training

 

To: Federally Certified Skilled Nursing Facilities Administrators, Directors of Nursing, MDS Coordinators, Billing and Coding Personnel, Licensed Nursing Facilities Administrators  From: The Health Facilities Education and Quality (HFEQ) Branch of the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division (HFEMSD)   Whether you are new to MDS or are a seasoned veteran, MDS 3.0 Basic training is the course for you! Just click on the link below by Friday, February 5th, 2021 to register. Make certain you update your CO-Train profile to include your email address in order to receive emails from CO-Train.     Link: MDS 3.0 for Providers Virtual Training registration link     References:   MDS 3.0 RAI Manual     Other questions? Contact wendy.castro@state.co.us

Hospital Rules Revision Stakeholder Meeting – 2/4/21

 

To: All Stakeholders   From: HFEMSD   The Department is resuming the stakeholder process for the regulatory review of 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter 4 – General Hospitals, Chapter 10 – Rehabilitation Hospitals, Chapter 18 – Psychiatric Hospitals, and Chapter 19 – Hospital Units. These chapters cover a wide range of topics that impact hospitals, both general and specialty.   This month's meeting topics include a final review of Anesthesia Services and Surgical and Recovery Services, and a discussion of Perinatal Services, Pediatric Services, Critical Care Services, and Respiratory Care Services. If there are members of your staff with expertise relevant to these topics please pass this meeting information along and encourage them to attend.   We highly encourage written comments on this draft, especially if you are unable to participate in the monthly meeting. Please send any written comments or questions to Anne Strawbridge at anne.strawbridge@state.co.us or Monica Billig at monica.billig@state.co.us.   Note: You may receive this notice more than once as it will be going out via email, calendar, and portal message. We apologize for any inconvenience.   Meetings are open to the public. This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom only.   When: Thursday, February 4, 2021 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Remote access through Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/990049166) Audio line: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 990 049 166   The stakeholder meeting schedule, agendas, documents and detailed information regarding the rule revision process can be accessed at this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yTm15HQ_6pOdnL_jn9Lj1mpUUB6r-5qV?usp=sharing. We recommend that you return to this site on the day of the meeting to check for additional or revised meeting materials.   Meeting documents, schedules and archived agendas are available on the department website:  https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/chapter-4-hospital-rule-revision-meeting. To sign up to receive email communications regarding the hospital rules review go to: https://goo.gl/forms/eWns4V9OU0pXkSsp2.   If you have any questions prior to then, feel free to contact Anne Strawbridge at anne.strawbridge@state.co.us or Monica Billig at monica.billig@state.co.us.   If you have never used Zoom before: Prior to the meeting, you will need to install Zoom. Please allow time to do so beforehand. If you plan to join by phone please be aware that some functions are unavailable. It is usually best to use a computer. Below are instructions for joining a Zoom meeting: How-to join a Zoom meeting by computer How-to join a Zoom meeting by phone Update to the latest version of Zoom

LTC (NF) IDR Committee Meeting

 

To: LTC (NF) providers   From: HFEMSD   The LTC (NF) IDR Committee will meet on February 2. This will be a virtual meeting. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. The public is welcome to listen to the committee discussion. To access the meeting:   Join with Google Meet meet.google.com/bet-cnjz-nzk     Join by phone (US) +1 347-396-1483 PIN: ‪564 361 493#   Elaine Sabyan

Public Notice Stakeholder Meeting, February 3, 2021 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter 8-Facilities for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

 

To: All Stakeholders Interested in the Revision of Chapter 8 Rules.   From: HFEMSD   You are invited to participate in the stakeholder meeting to review and update 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter 8- Facilities for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This is the third meeting of a planned year-long process to update these rules, many of which are almost a decade old. Your participation is welcomed and appreciated.   Meetings are open to the public.   When:  February 3, 2021, from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.   Where: This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom    Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89833277798?pwd=M2l0ZnY1TnhabEdvNXdsK2lQZExYQT09   Meeting ID: 898 3327 7798 Passcode: 661196 Use computer audio or call: 1- 408-638-0968   To view the Chapter 8 meeting agenda and documents please click on the following link. This should take you to a folder for the December 2020 meeting. The agenda and meeting documents will be posted a week prior to the meeting. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zf9cgUPxbiArFz7nb1XqtEytJAApM0Qb?usp=sharing   To sign up to receive email communications regarding IDD rule revision, go to: https://forms.gle/dUFwzcrf4VQFcbBG6   To review current Chapter 8 rules, click on the following link and then click on the link to “Chapter 8”:https://www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?ruleVersionId=8837&fileName=6%20CCR%201011-1%20Chapter%2008     If you have any questions or comments prior to the meeting, feel free to contact Francile Beights at francile.beights@state.co.us or Grace Sandeno at grace.sandeno@state.co.us

Chapter 26 Home Care Agency Rule Revision - February 2, 2021 meeting information

 

To: All Stakeholders From: HFEMSD In keeping with the statutory requirement to routinely review and update our regulations, the Department has begun the stakeholder process for the regulatory review of 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter 26 - Home Care Agencies (access the chapter at this link). This month's meeting topic includes a review of General Requirements for all License Categories (Ch. 26, current Section 6, proposed Part 5) and beginning the review of Skilled Care (Ch. 26, current Sections 7.1-7.4, proposed Parts 6.1-6.3). Meetings are open to the public. This meeting will be held remotely via Zoom only. When: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Remote access through Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87301044349) Audio line: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 873 0104 4349 The stakeholder meeting schedule, agenda, documents, and detailed information regarding the rule revision process can be accessed at this link. We recommend that you return to this site on the day of the meeting to check for additional or revised meeting materials. To sign up to receive email communications regarding the Chapter 26 rules review, fill out this form.  If you have any questions regarding the rule rewrite prior to the meeting, feel free to contact Monica Billig at monica.billig@state.co.us or Anne Strawbridge at anne.strawbridge@state.co.us. For general Home Care Advisory Committee questions contact Cheryl McMahon at cheryl.mcmahon@state.co.us or Steve Cox at steve.cox@state.co.us. If you have never used Zoom before: Prior to the meeting, you will need to install Zoom. Please allow time to do so beforehand. If you plan to join by phone please be aware that some functions are unavailable. It is usually best to use a computer. Below are instructions for joining a Zoom meeting: How-to join a Zoom meeting by computer How-to join a Zoom meeting by phone Update to the latest version of Zoom

Vaccine Eligibility Clarification: Federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care Program

 

To: Residential care facilities (Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities)   From: HFEMS Residential Care Strike Team   It has come to our attention that multiple long-term care facilities have invited friends and family members to take part in vaccine clinics being provided through the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care (LTC) Program.  We want to be clear that this program is ONLY for residents and healthcare personnel (HCP). HCP includes all paid and unpaid persons working in a facility who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. Additional examples of HCP can be found here. The LTC program provides end-to-end management of the COVID-19 vaccination process, including cold chain management, on-site vaccinations, and fulfillment of reporting requirements, to facilitate safe vaccination of this patient population, while reducing burden on LTC facilities and jurisdictional health departments. Learn more about the LTC Program here. Questions can be directed to the Residential Care Strike Team.

Response Webinars to be Discontinued and Combined with Bi-weekly LTCF Call

 

The community stakeholder response webinars previously held by the Residential Care Strike Team are being discontinued and combined with our Wednesday bi-weekly COVID-19 Call with Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs). The next meeting will take place Wednesday, January 27. See the details below for access information.   Wednesday, January 27th 12:00 - 1:00 PM (repeats every 2 weeks) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/565057505?pwd=M0lUQURVb3RZSjV2U2hOcXRSSnBRUT09 Meeting ID: 565 057 505 -- Passcode: 116166   Community Stakeholders are invited to attend and participate in this cross-state agency call on the work carried out by the COVID-19 Residential Care Strike Team. During these informational webinars the Strike Team will:    Provide updates on key progress made to-date, including data metrics Share upcoming initiatives and areas of focus Solicit feedback and answer questions from Stakeholders   Questions can be directed to the Residential Care Strike Team.

Surveillance Testing Transition: Next Steps

 

To: Residential care facilities (Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities) From:  HFEMS Residential Care Strike Team After discontinuing the use of Curative labs, we want to be clear that surveillance testing will continue to be a key strategy to minimizing the spread of COVID-19, along with wearing a mask, hand washing, social distancing, and other proven techniques. We understand this may cause a small gap in COVID-19 surveillance testing at your facility, so the Residential Care Strike Team is working quickly to implement a new testing system. The goal is that all facilities will be able to resume testing as soon as possible. For ease of transfer and less administrative work on your end, we are able to transfer all resident and staff information from the Curative portal to your new lab. Residential Care Strike Team representatives are reaching out today with more detailed information and a process to transition to the new testing system. The Strike Team is currently sending emails with specific facility information to email addresses that had previously received information for Curative testing. We recognize that COVID-19 can continue to spread during this transition. If a staff or resident at your facility displays symptoms, continue to follow CDPHE guidance. We appreciate your prompt response to these plans so we can meet our goal of continuing quality testing with minimal disruption. Please direct questions to the Residential Care Strike Team.