Register now for online webinar: Tuesday, June 9, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Wildfire & Smoke Readiness in Long-Term Care Facility and Home Health Settings: Actionable Strategies for Protecting Health during Wildfire Smoke Events

 

To: Administrators, Directors and Staff From: Melanie Roth, Emergency Response Coordinator, Health Facilities & Emergency Medical Services Division Re: Register Now for CDPHE “Wildfire & Smoke Readiness in Long-Term Care Facility and Home Health Settings: Actionable Strategies for Protecting Individuals’ Health During Wildfire Smoke Events” Based on forecasts and early 2026 data, Colorado is facing an exceptionally dangerous wildfire season, largely driven by severe drought and record-low snowpack. State officials warned in late April 2026 that the state is facing a challenging fire year with risks elevated across the Western Slope and the Front Range.   Join us on Tuesday, June 9, from 11:00 am-12:30 pm for a free, live webinar on the impacts and implications of wildfires and smoke in Colorado and steps you can take to prepare and respond to these events to protect your clients, residents and patients: Potential for danger from wildfires and smoke   Components of wildfire smoke and short and long-term health effects  More susceptible populations; signs and symptoms of wildfire smoke  Projections for Spring and Summer 2026; staying informed on wildfire smoke conditions Actionable strategies for protecting health during wildfire smoke events Reducing the impacts of wildfire smoke on indoor air quality Steps to protecting your patients, residents, and clients from wildfire smoke, including remote health checks for persons receiving care at home When evacuation becomes necessary  Speakers include:  Radhika Ratnabalasuriar, MD, Medical Epidemiologist, Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician, Medical Epidemiology Unit Molly Middleton, MPH, Environmental Epidemiologist and Colorado Environmental Public Health Tracking Program Manager, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability  Kristen Good, MEM, PhD, Health Equity Branch Deputy Chief, Occupational Health and Wildfire Smoke Preparedness Programs Manager, Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response Melanie Roth-Lawson, Emergency Response Coordinator/Trainer, Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division We encourage you to share this training with your staff. Register for the webinar.  Please use this webinar link to join the meeting on Tuesday, June 9 @ 11:00 AM  Meeting ID: 896 2236 8744; Passcode: 918322  Please add the meeting information and link to your calendar for Tuesday, June 9 @ 11:00 AM. If you have any questions, please contact Melanie.Roth-Lawson@state.co.us

Grant Opportunity - Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program (CMPRP) grants

 

To: All CMS Certified Nursing Homes From: Jo Tansey, HFEMSD, Acute Care and Nursing Facilities Branch Chief The Nursing Home Innovations Grant Board is accepting applications for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program (CMPRP) grants. The purpose of the grants is to help equip CMS Certified Nursing Homes with tools and assistance to enhance the quality of life and quality of care for their residents. Nursing homes can apply for up to $6000 a year for staff training, workforce enhancement, enrichment activities for residents, support for developing and strengthening resident and family councils, and other initiatives approved by CMS. The impact these projects have can truly make a difference in the lives of residents and the care they receive. The Request for Applications (RFA) #180 has all of the information you need to take advantage of this exciting opportunity. We would be happy to help you decide if a grant project is right for you. If your nursing home is not ready to implement a grant project itself, we can add you to the list to be contacted with opportunities to participate in other CMPRP grant projects. If you have questions or would like more information, email cdphe_nhib_grants@state.co.us.

HAI Updates: Dialysis Reporting

 

To: Dialysis Facility Administrators and Infection Preventionists From: CDPHE Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program  Outpatient dialysis facility reporting and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS) exclusion criteria for facilities that see 10 or fewer patients  At the March 24th meeting, the HAI Advisory Committee voted to align Colorado reporting requirements for outpatient dialysis facilities to report access-related bloodstream infections with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Incentive Program (QIP) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Measures.  Facilities treating 10 or fewer patients in a calendar year are excluded from the Colorado access-related bloodstream infections reporting requirement. Please update your reporting plans accordingly. This change is reflected in the HAI Reportable Conditions listing on the CDPHE website. More information is available from CDC: About CMS ESRD QIP Rule | NHSN | CDC.

Update Regarding Abbreviated Stakeholder Process for Community Integrated Health Care Service Agencies - 6 CCR 1011-3 (CIHCS) Rules Revision Roundtable

 

To: All CIHCS Agencies, All Health Facilities, All Community Paramedics, All Emergency Medical Services Agencies, All Interested Parties From: HFEMSD  Thank you to everyone who has participated in the rule revision meetings to update and revise 6 CCR 1011-3, Standards for Community Integrated Health Care Service Agencies (CIHCS). As a result of stakeholder participation thus far, the Department and stakeholders completed the review of the updated regulations during the March meeting. The meeting previously scheduled for May will not be held. The Department will continue to receive written comments until May 20. The draft CIHCS rules remain updated and are available in the public folder for this rulemaking. To provide written comment(s) on the draft rules, please email Ash Jackson at ash.jackson@state.co.us. The request for rulemaking at the Board of Health will be June 17, 2026. The Board of Health does not accept public testimony during hearing requests; however, if the Board accepts our rule request, the rulemaking hearing will be scheduled for August 19, 2026, at which point the Board encourages public testimony regarding the proposed rules. Details will follow in additional public notices. If you wish to receive individual notice of this process, please sign up to our interested parties list related to CIHCS agency rulemakings. Feel free to share this link with other interested parties.  If you have any questions or comments, please contact Ash Jackson at ash.jackson@state.co.us or Alexandra Haas at alexandra.haas@state.co.us.