MDHHS COVID-19 Nursing Home Support Payments This morning, October 26 2020 the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) issued notification letters via File Transfer to approximately 135 nursing facilities sharing plans to distribute $15 million dollars in COVID-19 support payments.
The intent of this funding is to support staff retention in facilities that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. Providers are required to accept the terms for distribution and submit their signed letter by Friday, October 30th to receive the funding. Distributions are expected the week of November 2nd or sooner.
Funds may be used for the following purposes and may be subject to audit:
The funding recipients have been determined based on the following criteria:
Payment will be made on a per licensed bed basis, with an estimated payment equal to $793.39/bed.
Questions can be sent to MDHHS-MSA-COVID19@michigan.gov or contact Pat Anderson at patanderson@hcam.org.
Registration & Weighing Pharmacy Options for the CDC Vaccine Distribution Program Registration is open for long term care (LTC) communities (nursing homes, assisted living communities, ICF/IIDs and other congregate settings for older adults) to register for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. Providers have only until this week Friday, October 30th to register with CDC on how they want to receive and administer the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. ??
There are risks associated with which pharmacy option you select for the Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care Program. Long term care facilities need to identify how they want to receive and administer the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. The CDC released an Overview of the Pharmacy Partnership Program along with an FAQ document that provides information regarding the program, along with options for registration.
Providers have four options to select from:
If you choose to elect your LTC pharmacy partner or an alternate provider as your first choice for vaccine distribution, HCAM strongly recommends you select CVS or Walgreens as your back up option. As of this time, no LTC pharmacies have been approved to distribute the vaccine, due to the complexities of the distribution chain and reporting requirements. Providers who choose to utilize their LTC pharmacy partner as their primary option without a back-up will be moved to a lower priority for distribution if their chosen pharmacy is not approved.
Skilled nursing facilities may register for COVID vaccine distribution via NHSN HERE.
Assisted living and other congregate care settings may register for COVID vaccine distribution via RedCap HERE.
AHCA/NCAL also released a summary Overview and FAQs document that members may find useful, as well as scheduled webinars to share information and answer questions.
COVID-19 Workplace Safety Grants Released The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) launched its Workplace Safety Grant program earlier this summer to provide funds to employers working to implement new safety protocols and procedures amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. All eligible and complete applications received grant awards leading to about 1,500 businesses who will begin receiving allocations. Grants were awarded for up to $10,000 in matching funds to recipients across industries, including healthcare and long term care. Today, the full list of grantees by region was released by MIOSHA. You can view the complete list HERE.
CMS COVID-19 Nursing Home Stakeholder Calls This Week The next Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) COVID-19 Nursing Home Stakeholder call is scheduled for Wednesday October 28th at 4:30 pm ET.
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 5587022 Audio Webcast Link: https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2627
AFC and HFA Required COVID-19 Reporting Pursuant to the joint Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (LARA) and Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) letter for AFC-HFA COVID-19 Reporting issued October 22, 2020, all licensed Adult Foster Care (AFC) and Homes for The Aged (HFA) facilities with bed capacity of 13 or greater are required to report COVID-19 data weekly in Qualtrics beginning October 28, 2020.
The previous survey platform, Survey Gizmo, closed to all facility reporting effective October 21, 2020. MDHHS is offering a technical assistance webinar to AFC and HFA facilities to support transition to and compliance with required reporting in the new platform.
MCAL highly recommends you attend Tuesday's webinar at noon.
Technical Assistance Webinars: Session 2: October 27, 2020, 12:00 PM (noon) - 1:00 PM EST
Registration is not required - join via Zoom at: https://msu.zoom.us/j/96144632532 Passcode: 176558 Webinar ID: 961 4463 2532 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +12532158782,,96144632532# or +13462487799,,96144632532# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923
Qualtrics Registration: The MDHHS required reporting must be completed through the web-based Qualtrics data collection tool: Michigan AFC/HFA COVID-19 Reporting. AFC and HFA facilities must register for Qualtrics reporting at the following link: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_di22jhTmyB2m3Q1. This initial registration survey will be active only on the required reporting date, October 28, from 7 AM to 12 PM (noon). When registering in Qualtrics, facilities must use their 11-digit state licensee identification number. After registering facilities will receive an individualized link by November 1, 2020, that will be used to submit weekly reports on behalf of the facility beginning November 4, 2020. |
