The memo reviews DPH information on vaccine distribution, update to Exposure & Return to Work Guidance, BinaxNow Test Kits availability and reminds members about the AHCA Vaccine Webinar.

Members are made aware of EOHHS and DPH updates to long-term care guidance as well as updated resources for REDCap.

Announcement on the webinar on staff and resident roster reporting to CHIA and a reminder about the DPH weekly call.

Members are provided informaion on AHCA webinar on vaccination clinics, update to Nursing Home Compare and 5 Star Rating System, BinaxNow test kits from DPH and MHA to offer 2nd opportunity to bulk purchase PPE.

While the Thanksgiving holiday may have looked different this year, Mass Senior Care members worked tirelessly to help residents and their family members safely celebrate the holidays in the midst of a pandemic. Mass Senior Care extends our gratitude to our long term care heroes for going above and beyond to ensure residents are staying healthy and engaged with their loved ones.

With Week 3 of the 16-week Project ECHO initiative nearing completion, 300 nursing facilities from across the Commonwealth have been participating in this nationwide training program to help keep COVID-19 from spreading in nursing homes and to prepare and equip staff so that they can better protect residents and themselves.

Comparing Massachusetts to states such as Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, two members of the COVID-19 Policy Alliance penned an Op Ed that ran on Cognoscenti, (WBUR's opinion and ideas site) maintaining that, while state leaders have done a lot to help nursing homes through this pandemic, support and resources has not been nearly enough.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) yesterday voted to include long term care residents and staff at the highest level of priority for the first distributions of a COVID-19 vaccine, along with health care workers. States are not required to follow the panel’s recommendations, but they typically do.

Announcements that nursing homes will be receiving notification from the DPH Vaccine Management Program related to enrolling in the Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Program (MCVP) Agreement and CDC has made several updates on guidance for facemasks for health care personnel.