CMS Information for Healthcare Facilities Concerning 2019 Novel Coronavirus Illness (2019-nCoV)

To: Administrators/Directors (Please share widely with your facility staff) From: Greg Schlosser, Health Facility Education and Quality Branch Chief As concerns arise with the emerging 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) threat, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encourages all healthcare facilities to carefully review your infection prevention and control policies and practices, and to review the information provided by partners at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Review CMS guidance here or go to  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2gUPtvZhRwTSFAyLWJRMmFuY2xTS0tsVUlHWUlwWjFqYXF3/view?usp=sharing In addition, on February 4, the CDC’s recently-developed diagnostic test for the detection of 2019-nCoV infections in humans was authorized by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use in authorized U.S. laboratories, including Colorado. You can review CMS’s Notification to Surveyors of the Authorization for Emergency Use of the CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel Assay and Guidance for Authorized Laboratories here or go to https://www.cms.gov/medicareprovider-enrollment-and-certificationsurveycertificationgeninfopolicy-and-memos-states-and/notification-surveyors-authorization-emergency-use-cdc-2019-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-real-time-rt   To stay updated on the current situation please continue to monitor the following website resources.  CDC Coronavirus page:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html CDPHE Coronavirus page:  https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2019-novel-coronavirus If you have general questions about 2019-nCoV, please call CO-Help at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911, or email COHELP@RMPDC.org , for answers in English and Spanish.