COVID-19 has exacerbated the mental health needs of frontline healthcare workers who have experienced the pandemic as both a personal crisis and a workplace crisis, having been deemed essential workers. MASStrong will provide support to the frontline healthcare workforce, prioritizing their resilience and mental health, with a focus on low wage frontline workers such as nursing home workers, home health aides, and long-term care aides. Supporting these important and vulnerable healthcare workers is the core mission of the MASStrong Program.

Yesterday, the Biden Administration announced a 6-week campaign to improve COVID-19 booster uptake rates including a focus on nursing homes.

At last week’s MSCA 2022 Annual Meeting & Trade Show, Governor Charlie Baker told attendees that the pandemic has challenged the long-term caregiving community in ways that go way beyond what others faced. The population in nursing homes, combined with the incredible contagiousness of the Covid-19 virus put nursing homes in a tenuous position and they performed “exceptionally well given the circumstances.”

DPH released updated information on Declaration of Jeopardy for Outbreaks or Clusters in Long-Term Care Facilities, MassHealth issued on CommBuys an amendment to its Nursing Facility Provider Transitions Program Request for Applications (RFA) clarifying the minimum qualifications for funding consideration, DPH shared an important update regarding COVID-19 therapeutics, and MassHealth has issued an eligibility operations memo.

Yesterday, the DPH shared that effective November 14, 2022, several COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Orders were rescinded. However, please note that although these orders have been rescinded, they have been replaced by longer term and more sustainable updates to statutes and regulations.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has issued an email to provide information on how certain eligible Nursing Facilities can receive reimbursement for trips for MassHealth members traveling to MassHealth covered services.

COVID-19 has exacerbated the mental health needs of frontline healthcare workers who have experienced the pandemic as both a personal crisis and a workplace crisis, having been deemed essential workers.

MassHealth has issued a (1) COVID-19 Preparedness Program Payments Bulletin specifying the criteria for nursing facilities to qualify for a one-time quality improvement supplemental payment in February 2023 and (2) Request for Assistance for Applications (RFAs) regarding a new Nursing Facility Patient Transition Program to facilitate a smooth transition of patients in need of post-acute, short-term care from acute hospital settings.

We are very pleased to announce that Governor Charlie Baker will speak at our November 17th Annual Meeting and we hope you will join us in thanking the Governor for his eight years of dedicated service to the Commonwealth and to helping to protect nursing facility residents and staff.