The August 2024 issue of Alliant Health Solutions Cares & Shares: A monthly newsletter highlighting events and resources for those caring for Medicare beneficiaries.
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Upcoming Educational Events
Nursing Home Readmission Affinity Group: Addressing the Sepsis Care Gap: A Comprehensive Assessment of Nursing Home Facility Practices
*NAB credits awarded* *CE for physicians and nurses available*
Thursday, August 8, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. ET /12:30 p.m. CT
Join us for an insightful session that delves into the critical assessment of sepsis care capacity. This engaging session will explore using a sepsis gap analysis to evaluate the preparedness and capabilities of interdisciplinary teams in providing optimal sepsis care. Our expert speakers will guide participants through identifying gaps, assessing current practices, and implementing strategies to enhance sepsis care.
Learning objectives:
Thursday, August 15 at 2 p.m. ET | 1 p.m. CT (60 min.)
**CME and NAB credit awarded**
Join the monthly Shop Talk sessions hosted by the Alliant patient safety team. Attendees will receive updates on the NHSN database and CMS requirements.
This month, we will discuss updates to CMS NHSN reporting requirements, COVID-19 and respiratory virus updates, and NHSN updates. There will also be a live question-and-answer session to help with your immediate needs. Submitting data accurately into NHSN will help you more confidently plan your risk assessments and quality improvement initiatives.
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Join the Alliant Health Solutions-LTC NHSN Group!
Joining the group and conferring rights to Alliant Health Solutions-LTC to view NHSN data allows for seamless support and technical assistance.
View Step-By-Step Guide
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Infection Prevention Leadership: Harnessing the Power of Influence for Safer Health Care
Effective leadership in infection prevention and control is key to ensuring resident safety and regulatory compliance. During my decade as an infection preventionist (IP), I experienced firsthand the challenge of being in a position that was vital to the facility’s success but lacked the formal authority and recognition of leadership positions. Developing your ability to influence others was an effective strategy to overcome this challenge.
At the Association for Professionals in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology (APIC) 2024 Conference, I attended a session by Tiffany Dogan, the infection prevention program manager at UCLA Health. who described influence as the intersection of character and connection. When developing the capability to influence, Dogan shared that we must first understand our own character traits of integrity, honesty, and authenticity so we can build meaningful and trusting relationships with others.
I remembered the ongoing struggle of trying to improve compliance with transmission-based precautions at my facility. As I evaluated how I could lead this change and improve compliance, I realized that I didn’t need direct authority. What I needed was to interact with staff as individuals with different levels of knowledge and interest. I needed to show them that I’m trustworthy and a safe person they can come to with questions about IP practices. As I got to know my colleagues and understood their needs, I became an IP influencer and compliance improved.
IPs are critical to the overall success of health care facilities. Investing time in developing your character and regularly connecting with your coworkers can help you harness your influence capabilities. These principles could help you avoid F tags in infection prevention and control areas and create a safer and more supportive environment for residents and staff.
New COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 Vaccine: Updates and Need To Know
What’s available until fall 2024
How to order
Consents
When working with your local health department or big box pharmacy, ask for the most current consent forms. Using your own consent form?
Pre-order the COVID-19 vaccine for next year
Flu, COVID and RSV Vaccine Coadministration
Flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines can be given at the same visit. For patients who prefer to receive each vaccine at a separate visit, there is no minimum waiting period between vaccines. Learn More
Impact of COVID-19 on Long-Term Care
A team of Canadian patient and public partners and researchers studied the impact that COVID-19 had on the physical health, mental health, and well-being of residents in long-term care. One hundred and eighty-four care partners completed the survey to share their perspectives. Findings are discussed in detail in the report, Through the Looking Glass. Access the Report
Emergency Preparedness: Using Tabletop Exercises to Prepare for Extreme Heat Events
Extreme heat is a leading causes of weather-related illness and death in the United States, causing more fatalities in a typical year than hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and floods. One important tool communities and providers can use to plan for extreme events is a tabletop exercise. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System developed an Introduction to Heat Tabletop Planning and Coordination Guide. Use this guide to develop and hold a future tabletop exercise within your community or your facility. Download Guide
Emergency Preparedness: Recent Mass Software Outage
In July, a global software outage impacted airlines, health care and businesses. This event was a reminder to review and update downtime procedures and cybersecurity policies for facilities. Alliant Health Solutions recently created a cybersecurity and downtime procedure checklist for providers. Refer to this checklist for more information on how you can use lessons learned to update plans. Download Cybersecurity Checklist
National Survey on Drug Use and Health Identifies Gaps in Cascade of Care for People with Opioid Use Disorder
Data from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were applied to a cascade of care framework to estimate and characterize U.S. adult populations who need opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, receive OUD treatment, and receive medications for OUD. More Information
International Overdose Awareness Day 2024: ‘Together We Can’ End Overdose and Honor Lives Lost
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) on August 31, 2024, is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those who have died and acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind. This year’s theme is “Together we can,” which highlights the power of our community when we all stand together. More Information
Newly Updated CMS Training for Frontline Nursing Home Staff and Management Modules 5 and 8
Learn about the impact of dementia in caring for nursing home residents with COVID-19 and how to protect the emotional health of nursing home staff through this no-cost, updated Quality, Safety & Education Portal (QSEP) online training developed by CMS. View Training
Celebrating National Immunization Awareness Month
National Immunization Awareness Month highlights the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. Click Here to view the CDC’s webpage of resources to help raise vaccine awareness and acceptance.
Alliant Health Solutions launched its 2024-2025 Seasonal Vaccination Campaign with tools and resources to support nursing homes. Monthly emails to all nursing homes with key milestones will help your facility stay on track with the 2024-2025 seasonal vaccination campaign. Email nursinghome@alliantquality.org if your facility did not receive the first email in July or if you would like to add additional receivers to the distribution list.
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