Angie's Blog

HealthCap® USA

Angie Szumlinski, NHA, RN-BC, RAC-CT and BS

Director of Risk Management

Angie SzumlinskiMs. Szumlinski is a nationally-recognized leader in long-term care with experience as an Owner/Provider, Administrator, Director of Nursing, Corporate Quality Assurance Coordinator and independent consultant. Ms. Szumlinski conducts risk management visits at facilities across the country, touching every acuity level within the post-acute care spectrum. Ms. Szumlinski served as an Associated Board Member for NCAL, is a member of the AHCA/NCAL Quality Committee, NCAL Risk Management Committee, HCAM Legal/Clinical Committee and is a Senior Examiner/Team Leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program. Ms. Szumlinski is a Nurse Planner for the HealthCap® ANCC accredited education program.

Flu Season Caution Signs

Positive for Both – COVID and Flu!

Angie Szumlinski Health

Following national public health warnings about a possible “twindemic,” reports are surfacing of patients testing positive for both coronavirus and influenza. “With the likelihood of both COVID-19 and seasonal flu activity this winter, contracting either disease may weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to the other diseases,” said Solano County Health Officer Dr. Bela T. Matyas. “Getting …

CDC – Excess Deaths – COVID-19

Angie Szumlinski Announcements, Health

On October 20, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an early release of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. As of October 15, 216,025 deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported in the United States; however, this might underestimate the total impact of the pandemic on mortality. Overall, an estimated 299,028 excess deaths* occurred …

Poverty?

Angie Szumlinski News, Studies

Staffing, a long-standing thorn in the side of skilled nursing operators even before the COVID-19 pandemic, has emerged as one of the most critical elements in how facilities manage an outbreak and navigate the current public health emergency. This Skilled Nursing Article highlights that the percentage of CNAs who live below the poverty line in the U.S. far outstrips the …

Science and More Science!

Angie Szumlinski Health, Studies

Since December 2019, an increasing number of pneumonia cases caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) have been identified in Wuhan, China. This new pathogen has exhibited high human-to-human transmissibility with approximately 16,819,944 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 662,000 deaths reported globally as of July 29, 2020. In addition to population mobility and human-to-human contact, environmental factors such as absolute humidity …

Stay Strong – You Got This!

Angie Szumlinski Health

Hospital CEOs and chief medical officers are raising red flags about an uptick in COVID-19 cases in their communities. Unlike earlier outbreaks concentrated in the Northeast and South, the virus is simmering at a worrisome level in most regions. After weeks of warnings that cases were again on the rise, a third surge of coronavirus infection has firmly taken hold …

Zinc – Prevent COVID Deaths?

Angie Szumlinski Case Study, Featured, Health

New research presented at the 2020 ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease (ECCVID) suggests that lower levels of baseline plasma zinc are associated with poorer survival outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The study by Dr. Roberto Guerri-Fernandez, Hospital DelMar, Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues, involved a retrospective analysis of symptomatic COVID-19 patients admitted to a tertiary university hospital in Barcelona, Spain …

Blood Glucose Levels and COVID-19

Angie Szumlinski Case Study, Health, Studies

Have you ever wondered why your primary care physician keeps an eye on your blood glucose levels when running laboratory tests? Add to that, they want “fasting” levels which means no coffee before the test, right?! In a retrospective study by S. Wang and colleagues from 2 hospitals in Wuhan, China, FBG ≥ 7 mmol/L at admission independently predicted 28-day …

It is a Digital Age!

Angie Szumlinski Announcements, News

The Mayo Clinic, in partnership with the digital health start-up Safe Health Systems, has launched a new health and connected diagnostics platform that can be used to store COVID-19 testing and vaccination data, as well as test results for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other medical conditions. “Mayo Clinic Platform believes that the future of virtual care includes on-demand diagnostic …

OSHA Compliant Respiratory Protection Program Requirements

Angie Szumlinski Health, News

When respirators, including PAPRs, are used to reduce inhalation exposures, OSHA requires a written respiratory protection program in compliance with OSHA 29CFR1910.134 and the respirators must be NIOSH-approved. To be considered NIOSH approved, the PAPR assembly cannot be modified from its approved configuration and only those replacement parts specified and provided by the manufacturer must be used. The manufacturer’s PAPR …

Corona Virus - Microbiology And Virology Concept - 3d Rendering

Notice to Colorado Facilities

Angie Szumlinski Announcements, Health

On November 20th, 2020, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued a Fifth Amended Public Health Order. This changes requirements for Colorado skilled nursing facilities, assisted living residences, intermediate care facilities, and group homes regarding Covid-19 prevention. The summary of important revised sections is below, per the CDPHE. Please visit their website for a complete list of …