E-News Update Articles

What Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Providers Need to Know (Week of 3/12/21)

Update on the COVID-19 recovery bill moving through the legislature: (1) unemployment insurance rate freeze, (2) PPP tax exemption and (3) emergency COVID-19 paid sick leave.

Information on CMS release of revised guidance on nursing home visitation during the continued COVID-19 pandemic, an invitation to register for today’s CMS national nursing home stakeholder call and an update on Massachusetts travel restrictions for individuals fully vaccinated.

Nursing facilities that are experiencing difficulty securing chair car services may be able to access transportation for MassHealth residents through this program. MassHealth provides non-emergency medical transportation for both ambulatory and non-ambulatory MassHealth members living in the community who are going to MassHealth-covered medical services.

In recognition of Long-Term Care Administrator's Week, Mass Senior Care extends our gratitude and appreciation to all long-term care administrators. We thank you for commitment to providing excellent quality of care and quality of life for the elderly and disabled individuals living in our communities.

On March 10, 2021, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released revised guidance on nursing home visitation during the continued COVID-19 pandemic.

Through a moderator led discussion, Cassandra Tribe-Scott will explore the various ways that the pandemic and other aspects of social unrest have and continue to effect long term care staff. Ms. Scott will introduce customizable tools for nursing facility leaders as they provide continued support to staff in the management of their emotional well-being in a post-COVID-19 environment. Register today.

The Commonwealth has revised travel restrictions for individuals that are fully vaccinated. Individuals who have received two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines OR who have received a single dose of the Janssen vaccine, more than 14 days ago and who do not have symptoms, do not need to obtain a negative test prior to traveling to, or quarantine upon arrival to, Massachusetts.

Meet David Gachanja, one of the 50,000 dedicated caregivers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic protecting vulnerable nursing home residents. David is a Certified Nursing Assistant at Beaumont Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Worcester and has been a CNA for over 20 years.

An announcement that the Massachusetts Public Health Council voted to approve the proposed revisions to 105 CMR 150.00 Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and MSCA is offering virtual sessions on meeting staff needs for trauma informed care & support in 2021.

Information about AHCA/NCAL campaign to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among long term care staff, MSCA offering virtual sessions on meeting staff needs for trauma informed care and support in 2021 and a reminder about the weekly DPH call.

CNA Training Opportunities Available The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made available focused workforce grants to critical sectors including the health care community in order to prepare individuals to secure employment, support their families, and contribute to the state’s post-pandemic economic recovery. There are several funding sources and grant opportunities to train Certified Nursing Assistants. The following programs offer opportunities for nursing facilities to hire newly trained CNAs, create career pathways for Resident Care Assistants, and/or forge partnerships with local training

Mass Senior Care would like to alert long-term care facilities to a change in the Long-term Care Facility Licensure Renewal Application. The Department of Public Health will accept and process a long-term care facility license renewal application only if the application is completed and executed by an “Applicant” as defined in 105 CMR 153.004 (for example, an owner or executive officer of the licensee).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training that provides an overview of the assessment and coding of the standardized patient assessment data elements (SPADEs) related to falls in Section J: Health Conditions.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome new members to our Association. Our Associate Members have demonstrated their commitment to the senior care provider community by joining Mass Senior Care and participating as exhibitors and sponsors for events and educational conferences. Mass Senior Care members are encouraged to contact Associate Members when they are in need of long term care products and services. You can find all of our Associate Members listed on our website, www.maseniorcare.org/preferred-vendors.

Mass Senior Care has provided public testimony on the following two proposed regulations:

Members are encouraged to tap AHCA’s groundbreaking SNF-centered report using hospital, SNF and other post-acute care claims to track patient flow and availability in the SNF’s market area, broken out by clinical categories relevant to the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM). The report is called P3©.

Last week, Massachusetts legislators filed over 6,000 bills to be debated during the 2021-2022 legislative session, including important nursing home legislation, which would provide further support for quality nursing facility care. Please join Mass Senior Care in urging legislators to prioritize nursing home care in the legislative session. Take action now by clicking here to email or call your state senator and representative to ask them to sign on as co-sponsor to the following bills.

An announcement that due to the decrease in the number of focused infection control surveys, DPH has resumed annual surveys and information on a BinaxNOW expiration date update.

Massachusetts Senior Care Association is excited to participate in the upcoming observance of National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW), which will be held May 9-15, 2021. This year's theme, "Together Through the Seasons," will honor the collaborative commitment of skilled nursing care facilities and their staff in providing compassionate care to their residents during this unprecedented time.

At a young age, Guylen [Gilly] Muzac’s heart was set on becoming a nurse after watching her aunt receive tremendous nursing care. For the past 14 years, Guylene has worked on the Alzheimer’s/Dementia Unit at Sherril House in Boston. Recently she has been working as a Resident Care Manager, where she continues to make a positive difference.

Information is shared with members on AHCA/NCAL new guidance​ on accessing COVID-19 vaccine in long term care after the LTC Pharmacy Partnership Program is completed and MassHealth to End 2nd Isolation Space Program on March 31, 2021.

Notice regarding The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety is offering a free six-week support group for nurses working with COVID-19 patients in any health care setting and a reminder about the weekly DPH call.

AHCA and LeadingAge announced a new nationwide goal of getting 75 percent of the approximately 1.5 million nursing home staff vaccinated by June 30. Click below to read more.

Tara Gregorio, President of Mass Senior Care earlier this month testified before the Massachusetts Health Equity Task Force. The Task Force, established by state law, is charged with making short and long term recommendations to the Legislature that address health disparities for underserved or underrepresented populations.

The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care is now accepting nominations for its 2021 National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year Award. The National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year (NCCY) Award recognizes extraordinary healthcare professionals from across the country who embody the characteristics of compassionate care, and whose professional achievements have helped to create healing healthcare environments for patients, families, colleagues, and communities.

In response to a statement released yesterday by Mass Senior Care Association (MSCA), The Boston Herald and many other news outlets across the state shared the news that “Encouraging data released today by the Massachusetts Senior Care Association show nursing homes in Massachusetts have made significant strides in mitigating the spread of, and preventing deaths from, the COVID-19 virus. The data also show that prioritizing nursing home residents and staff for the vaccine rollout is working exceedingly well.”

Reminders about the third room density report due on February 26, 2021 and seasonal influenza vaccination of healthcare personnel.

An update on DPH guidance on vaccination options for LTC residents and staff.

This memorandum addresses EOHHS update to the LTC Family Communication Letter, provides reminders about the DCC-Q filing due on March 1, 2021 and the DPH weekly call, also discusses how to request an extended repayment schedule in follow up to the recent update on Medicare Advance and Accelerated Payments (AAP).

A memo to members regarding an update to Medicare 3-Day Stay and Benefit Period Waivers Fact Sheet and FAQs and a reminder that the DCC-Q filing is due on March 1, 2021.

An update on Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS) release of a Family Communication, “COVID-19 Prevention Protocols Post Vaccination" and MassHealth All-Provider Transportation Provider Bulletin in regard to transportation for members to vaccination sites for COVID-19 vaccine administration.

As part of Mass Senior Care Association’s Arming Ourselves Against COVID-19 campaign, we continue to provide new educational materials regarding the COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy available in multiple languages to ensure trusted information is accessible to long term care staff, residents and their family members. New educational videos in Haitian Creole, Cantonese and Mandarin featuring Christine Pierre, MD and Robert Wu, MD are now available for Mass Senior Care members to use to help communicate facts about the COVID-19

Mass Senior Care’s education programs will continue to be offered virtually for the next several months. Members receive discounted rates on all education programs/webinars, including partnership programs such as Harmony Healthcare. Please click on the links for each program to access the registration program or email lnguyen@maseniorcare.org if you have any questions.

This week, the Boston Herald published an article, Massachusetts nursing homes report dramatic drop in coronavirus death rate since vaccine rollout. “The virus death rate and case counts at nursing homes have significantly declined, a “very encouraging” trend that shows the vax working for the high-risk group that received it first, doctors tell the Herald.”

Members are reminded about the surveillance testing requirement and January 2021 surveillance testing payments.

Members are updated on Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) repayments.

Information is provided on DPH memorandum on temporary nursing agency rates, updated COVID diagnosis codes and the DPH weekly call.

We need you to act now! You can either call or write your Member of Congress to protect access to long term care for vulnerable residents.

“Motivated by what felt like necessity and equipped with their abundant compassion, ample ingenuity, and copious colored pens, Saffron Patel and her sister Shreya founded Letters Against Isolation, an organization that links volunteer letter-writers with people residing in various types of care homes.”

EOHHS has posted a recording of yesterday’s DCC-Q webinar on its website.

The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated list which reflects all OIG exclusions and reinstatement actions up to, and including, those taken in January 2021.

As part of Mass Senior Care Association’s Arming Ourselves Against COVID-19 campaign, we continue to provide new educational materials regarding the COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy available in multiple languages to ensure trusted information is accessible to long term care staff, residents and their family members. New educational videos in Haitian Creole, Cantonese and Mandarin featuring Christine Pierre, MD and Robert Wu, MD are now available for Mass Senior Care members to use to help communicate facts about the COVID-19 vaccine as well as highlight the importance of vaccination.

Operation September Freedom is a national effort by Dream Flights to locate and honor World War II veterans with free Dream Flights in their fleet of restored WWII-era Stearman biplanes. During a 20-minute Dream Flight, veterans experience the freedom and exhilaration of soaring 1,000 feet in the air in an iconic, open-cockpit-biplane.

EOHHS issued Administrative Bulletin 21-02 to set forth the compliance criteria, reporting requirements, penalty amount, and recovery and referral procedures for the nursing facility direct care cost quotient and EOHHS has posted a recording of yesterday’s DCC-Q webinar on its website.

EOHHS Direct Care Cost-Quotient (DCC-Q) FAQ updated to address certain questions either submitted prior to, or during the course of, today’s DCC-Q webinar and new educational videos in English, Haitian Creole, Cantonese and Mandarin are now available for Mass Senior Care members.

An announcement EOHHS issues initial FAQ for DCC-Q and an invitation to join tomorrow's MassHealth webinar for more information as well as a reminder about the weekly DPH Call.

Member information regarding first dose of vaccine at final clinic, DCC-Q webinar and deadline extended to March 1st, monoclonal antibody therapy – member video implementation and MassHealth COVID-19 billing instructions.

Updates on the first dose of vaccine at final clinic, monoclonal antibody therapy – member video implementation and MassHealth COVID-19 billing instructions.

Discussion on COVID-19 Vaccine in LTCF Making a Difference and DCC-Q Extension and Webinar