Nurse making vaccine injection to elderly patient

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Strategy

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, News

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) today released two documents outlining the Trump Administration’s detailed strategy to deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses to the American people as quickly and reliably as possible. The documents, developed by HHS in coordination with the DoD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

MDROs (Not COVID)!

Angie SzumlinskiCase Study, Health

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent public health threat causing an estimated 2,868,700 infections and 35,900 deaths each year in the United States. Multi drug-resistant organisms (MDROs), including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and organisms related to antimicrobial drug use and resistance such as Clostridioides difficile, often are the causative agents in healthcare-associated infections. Studies show that these …

CMS Memo- Focused Survey Tool

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Please review the newest rule issued from CMS to understand what it means for your facility. This affects requirements for COVID-19 testing in regards to residents, staff, volunteers, and individuals providing services under arrangement. Read the summary from CMS below and click here to access the full memorandum. CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s healthcare facilities …

Trump Administration to Release 1.5 Million N95 Respirators

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, News

Beginning August 28, 2020, the Defense Logistics Agency will direct shipment of N95 respirators to select nursing homes that recently reported having enough supplies for only zero to three days of operations. These respirators are meant to supplement existing supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and will provide a seven-day supply for each nursing home to support an entire shift …

Unmasking the Mask

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

In a recent video/transcript published in Medscape on August 16, 2020, Dr. Mark Lewis, MD discussed the many myths surrounding the use of facemasks. The link to the video is below and here are a few of the “tidbits” Dr. Lewis shared: Misinformation and Talking Points Efficacy. It is true that masks are not 100% effective however there is little …

Relief Healthcare Facilities

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured, Health

Many COVID-19 cases are geographically localized and can overwhelm local healthcare facilities. Healthcare systems typically have uneven distribution of COVID-19 cases with some regional healthcare systems experiencing patient surges while others have excess capacity for patient care. When healthcare facilities reach or exceed patient capacity “Crisis Standards of Care” are often implemented. Healthcare systems entering Crisis Standards of Care are …

CMS Posts Guidance for Implementing New Testing Requirements in Nursing Homes and Labs

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, News

CMS Press Release August 26, 2020 CMS.gov On August 26, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance for nursing homes and clinical laboratories to assist in enhancing their abilities to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to nursing home residents and their front line staff.  Nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to the prevalence …

Laws of Motion PPE – Surgical Gown Safety

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting health care facility risk managers, procurement staff and health care providers that gowns sold as medical gowns including surgical gowns, sold by Laws of Motion PPE (LawsofMotionPPE.com) have potential quality issues that affect the level of fluid barrier protection. The FDA is recommending that gowns manufactured or sold by Laws of …

Goodbye Summer – Hello Flu Season!

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

Sadly, we are beginning to see summer coming to an end, evenings are getting cooler, it is still dark when we get up in the morning and yes, the dreaded flu season is just around the corner! Considering we are still in the midst of a global pandemic it hardly seems fair that we are going to be challenged yet …