The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) to address exposure to COVID-19 to workers in health care settings, CMS issued an updated memo (QSO-20-41-ALL) this week that provides new guidance around when an inpatient provider may be exempted from its next required full-scale exercise, the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) will make multiple updates and modifications to reporting modules, and Mass Senior Care shares CNA training opportunities.

Yesterday the DPH issued updated Comprehensive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Guidance. It is expected that these changes are implemented no later than July 1, 2021. Mass Senior Care recommends members review the guidance closely.

Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley in Littleton recently celebrated their resident Hazel's 113th birthday, the oldest resident in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!

Today, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) announced the 2021 Silver - Achievement in Quality award recipients. This year, 50 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), 13 assisted living communities (ALs), and one SNF/AL in 28 states achieved the Silver Award. Two Mass Senior Care member facilities have been recognized this year, including Charlene Manor Extended Care Facility in Greenfield and Sunrise of Wayland in Wayland.

CMS has updated the Focused Infection Control and Standard Survey tools, MassHealth today issued a reminder that it is in the process of making numerous patient paid amount (PPA) adjustments for MassHealth members and requests that facilities do not make any changes to a MassHealth member’s PPA until you receive a Notice of Financial Liability (NFL) notice, and EOHHS has indicated that there will be no reduction in facility revenue for Medicaid residents impacted by this PPA change.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is investing in workforce grants in critical sectors, including health care, to prepare individuals to secure employment, support their families, and contribute to the state’s post-pandemic economic recovery. If you have questions about these programs or want assistance developing a training pipeline strategy to meet your CNA hiring needs, please contact Jennifer Chen, Director of Membership.

The Conference Committee is currently reconciling the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget recommendations of the House and Senate. Mass Senior Care has contacted the Conferees to urge them to include in the final Conference report (1) an update to the MassHealth nursing facility funding formula using 2019 costs and (2) a rate add-on for facilities that care for a disproportionate share of MassHealth nursing facility residents. These two sections would continue to build upon the Legislature’s efforts to modernize and stabilize the nursing facility sector by better recognizing current care costs, in order to make necessary investments in our workforce and improve resident experience and quality outcomes.

The state’s largest hospital systems announced today that they will mandate all of their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, once a vaccine is approved by the FDA which is expected soon. Leaders of Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Lahey Health, and Wellforce told their workers that requiring vaccination for employees is critical for protecting vulnerable patients.

Publicly available data on NHSN show 87% of nursing facility residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19, ranking 9th in the nation. And 69.2% of nursing facility staff have been vaccinated, ranking 8th in the nation. Mass Senior Care Association continues to work with our member long term care facilities to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among residents and staff. Achieving a high rate of resident and staff vaccinations is critical to our fight against COVID-19 and ensuring the safety of our residents and the entire caregiving team.