The October 2024 issue of Alliant Health Solutions Cares & Shares: A monthly newsletter highlighting events and resources for those caring for Medicare beneficiaries.
- Register for Upcoming Events
- View Past Events
- Leadership Lesson: Advice from the Frontlines
- Resources and Information on:
- COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness
- Opioid Utilization and Misuse
- Patient Safety
- Training
- Chronic Disease
- Care Coordination and Partnerships for Community Health
- Immunization
- BFAC
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Upcoming Educational Events
Give the Boost a Shot Event
Thursday, October 3, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
*CME credit awarded*
During this Boost Education and Office Hours event, participants can engage with subject matter experts, ask questions, and get instant, real-time answers. This event offers a unique opportunity to enhance your knowledge and gain insights in a collaborative environment.
Register Here
Nursing Home Readmission Affinity Group: Medication Reconciliation: A Team Sport
*NAB credits awarded* *CE for physicians and nurses available*
Thursday, October 10, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. ET /12:30 p.m. CT
This interactive event highlights the importance of collaborative medication reconciliation to ensure accurate and safe medication management for nursing home residents during and after their stay. Practical examples will be used to help attendees gain a deeper understanding of how teamwork and an interdisciplinary approach can improve medication safety and quality of care.
Learning objectives:
- Understand the different roles of health care providers, pharmacists, staff, residents, and care partners in the medication reconciliation process.
- Gain a deeper understanding of how an interdisciplinary approach can uncover “near misses” resulting from variations in the medication reconciliation process.
- Use a performance improvement team to apply the Swiss Cheese Model to identify and address system failures in the medication reconciliation process.
*CME credit awarded*
Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 12:30 ET | 11:30 a.m. CT
Congestive heart failure (CHF) continues to be a driver of nursing home readmissions. Join us for a discussion of strategies to improve care processes and strengthen the team approach to caring for CHF patients in post-acute care.
Learning Objectives:
- Understanding the disease process, causes and symptoms of CHF that can lead to rehospitalization.
- Learn strategies for proactive, interdisciplinary identification and management of changes in condition.
- Know the key role of nursing assessment and effective discharge planning in readmission prevention.
Give the Boost a Shot Office Hours Follow-Up
Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
*CME credit awarded*
Join us and invite your clinical colleagues to our Boost educational events. In this session, we'll take a deeper dive into your challenges and questions from our earlier office hours session.
Register Here
Past Educational Event
Nursing Home Readmission Affinity Group: Breathe Easier: Implementing Strategies for Reducing COPD Readmissions
Recorded on September 12
Learn practical strategies for preventing readmissions for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This session delves into best practices for identifying, managing and mitigating COPD readmission risk factors to help you acquire valuable insights and tools to enhance care coordination, improve patient outcomes, and drive operational excellence within health care organizations.
View Recording | View Materials
Understanding Addiction and Addressing Barriers to Recovery-Oriented Care
Recorded on September 25
This educational event focused on substance use disorder. You’ll gain insight into the common contributing factors and the underlying brain and chemical processes involved. In addition, you’ll learn how the Stages of Change framework can be used to intervene in the processes of substance use disorder and recovery. We also explored common manifestations of stigma in services and treatment for people with substance use disorder, its impact on patient services, and strategies to improve patient-provider interactions.
View Recording | View Materials
Were You Able to "Use Tomorrow" What You Heard During the LAN Events?
If Yes, Click Below.
Nursing Homes LAN Attendees: Click here
Partnership for Community Health LAN Attendees:Click here
Thursday, October 17 at 2 p.m. ET | 1 p.m. CT (60 min.)
**CME and NAB credit awarded**
Join the monthly Shop Talk For Long-Term Care Facilities sessions hosted by the Alliant patient safety team. Attendees will receive updates on the NHSN database and CMS requirements.
This month, we will discuss CMS NHSN reporting requirements updates, COVID-19 and respiratory viruses updates and NHSN updates. We will conduct 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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Words of advice from leaders on the front lines.
This month’s leadership lesson is from JoVonn Givens, MPH, Task Order Director for Alliant Health Solutions.
Celebrating Resilience: Achievements of the 12th Statement of Work Amid Unprecedented Challenges in Health Care
As the 12th Statement of Work comes to a close next month, I would like to thank each of you for your hard work and perseverance during these times. When we started this work across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee in November 2019, we could not predict the challenges we would face. I remember sitting in one of the plenary sessions during the CMS Quality Conference in February 2020, and the Department of Health and Human Services shared that they were monitoring the SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, virus. I called my parents to tell them to get a 90-day supply of their prescription medications “just in case.” I remember making an online order for a grocery pick-up after I returned to Atlanta “just in case.” Just a week or so later, we were told to stay home to try to prevent the spread of the virus.
Here we are in 2024, and we all have at least one story of how COVID-19 impacted our lives. The resilience of health care across the Southeast region and the nation has been the bright side to all of this. Communities of providers and community-based organizations partnered together to first pool resources for personal protective equipment and, later, discuss and implement interventions to improve care coordination and chronic disease management, decrease opioid misuse, and ensure preparedness for emergencies and the “just in case” times. Because of your hard work, here are some of the accomplishments achieved during the 12th Statement of Work across the region:
- Opioid adverse drug events (ADEs), including deaths, for high-risk nursing home residents were decreased from 19.18 per 100,000 Medicare Fee For Service nursing home resident days in September 2020 to 14.86 per 100,000 Medicare Fee For Service nursing home resident days in November 2023.
- Adequately controlled blood pressure increased from 69.10% in September 2020 to 74.97% in December 2023 among Medicare Fee For Service beneficiaries.
There are many more successes to share, which can be found in the Alliant Health Solutions QIN-QIO Impact Summary. Give yourselves a pat on the back or a round of applause for your hard work.
It has been my pleasure to meet some of you in person, receive an email from you, and hear about all the excellent work you have been doing. As the 12th Statement of Work comes to an end, we can still provide you with technical assistance. Please send me an email at jovonn.givens@allianthealth.org, and I will put you in touch with the right person. Let’s not forget everything we’ve learned over the past five years and use that as a foundation for the future.
Thank you for helping to make health care better.
Resources
New Immunization Resources
- Integrating Immunizations in the Nursing Home into Day-to-Day Operations and/or Clinics – this document provides instructions for administering immunizations as part of your daily practice and setting up a clinic in your building. Download Here
COVID-19 Vaccine: Updates and Need To Know
The FDA has approved the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-2025 calendar year.
What To Know
- Everyone 6 months and older should get a 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine.
- The COVID-19 vaccine helps protect you from severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
- It is especially important to get your 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine if you are 65 and older, at high risk for severe COVID-19, or have never received a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Vaccine protection decreases over time, so staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine is important.
People 12 Years and Older: Who Is Up to Date?
You are up to date when you have received:
- One dose of the 2024-2025 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine OR
- One dose of the 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- If you are 65 years and older, an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose—beyond what is listed above—is NOT recommended unless you are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
Note: The 2023–2024 Novavax COVID-19 vaccine remains authorized but is no longer available in the United States, as all doses have expired.
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
Emergency Preparedness: Cyber Safety Tips for Patients and Visitors
Alliant Health Solutions recently created a resource for patients and visitors on how to stay secure against cyber attacks and scams. Our resource, Cyber Safety Tips for Patients and Visitors, includes reminders on how to avoid scams by not taking the bait, protecting your devices, using caution when using public computers or TVs, and being safe with social media for yourself and others. Download Cyber Safety Tips Resource
Emergency Preparedness: Nursing Home Checklist for Dialysis Patients
In partnership with IPRO, Alliant Health Solutions created a checklist for nursing homes to use when they have dialysis patients. This checklist will ensure that facilities include key elements specific to dialysis patients in their emergency preparedness plans. Download Checklist for Dialysis Patients
Emergency Preparedness: Ready, Set, Go! Checklist on Extreme Heat and Extreme Cold
Both extreme heat and severe cold present significant safety and comfort challenges for residents and staff, particularly when accompanied by power outages and disruptions to essential services. Proactively developing and implementing a heat management strategy during heat waves, as well as a cold management strategy during snowstorms or dangerously cold weather, can help minimize risks, prevent disruptions, and ensure safety and efficiency. For guidance on preparing for, managing, or responding to these conditions, refer to the Ready, Set, Go! Checklist for Extreme Heat and Extreme Cold. Download Extreme Heat Checklist | Download Extreme Cold Checklist
Properly Dispose of Unwanted Medications on National Drug Take Back Day
National Drug Take Back Day is an initiative by the Drug Enforcement Administration to help people properly dispose of unwanted and expired medications. The event will take place on October 26, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn More
Opioid Nursing Home Adverse Drug Event Checklist
Alliant’s Opioid Nursing Home Adverse Drug Event Checklist, derived from the CMS ADE Trigger Tool, can be used to assist nursing homes in identifying and preventing ADEs. Download Checklist
The CDC’s NHSN team is offering two additional training sessions to cover important updates for long-term care facility users about the COVID-19 Respiratory Pathogens Module. These changes will be live in the NHSN application on September 30, 2024.
- When: October 1, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET
- Register Here
- When: October 9, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET
- Register Here
International Infection Prevention Week: Moving the Needle on Infection Prevention
International Infection Prevention Week 2024 is October 13-19, 2024. The theme is “Moving the Needle on Infection Prevention.” Infection preventionists (IPs) play a crucial role in keeping the public safe and healthy—protecting us from surges in healthcare-associated infections and so many other infectious threats. Learn More
Updated CMS Training for Frontline Nursing Home Staff and Management Modules 2 and 10
Learn about the importance of structured COVID-19 screening and surveillance for long-term care facilities and how immunization programs complement these activities through this no-cost, updated Quality, Safety & Education Portal online training developed by CMS. View TrainingQsource Recruiting Georgia and Florida Nursing Homes for CMP-Funded Initiative
Qsource is recruiting long-term care facilities in Georgia and Florida for the next CMP-funded initiative. Participating nursing homes benefit from peer-to-peer collaboration, meeting federal Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) requirements, and access to best practices. Participants also receive hands-on technical assistance and data analysis support. There is no additional administrative burden for participants. This technical assistance is offered to a limited number of eligible nursing homes at no cost. Click Here to learn more and join the project.
Mental Illness Awareness Week brings attention to mental wellness, coinciding with World Mental Health Day and National Depression Screening Day on October 10. Incorporating mental health screenings into regular care can help identify serious issues like depression early, ensuring timely intervention and support. Conducting regular depression screenings, at least annually for high-risk patients, is crucial to prevent mental illness-related fatalities such as suicide. Routine screenings enable timely connection to self-management resources, empowering patients to actively participate in their care through techniques like goal setting, mindfulness, and coping strategies. Supporting patient self-management efforts by providing educational resources, access to support groups, and ongoing encouragement is essential to help them manage both their chronic conditions and their mental health.
Alliant’s Self-Management for Depression Zone Tool can help patients with depression track their symptoms, take simple action steps for coping, and know how to urgently respond to a mental health medical crisis.
The COPD Zone Tool can help patients understand their condition and how to respond at different stages. You can incorporate this tool into your patient education program to enhance understanding and engagement. Additionally, patients can use page 2 of the tool to track their symptoms and bring it to their appointments for discussion with their physician. Download Tool
Kickstart Your Facility's Viral Respiratory Season Immunization Campaign
It’s October! Time to kick your facility’s viral respiratory season immunization campaign into high gear. Ideally, your vaccine inventory should be onsite and stored safely. Policies, standing orders and employee competencies should be finalized, and a system should be in place to track staff and resident vaccination rates. As the season progresses, keep looking for opportunities to improve processes and increase vaccination rates.If you are not quite there yet, identify who in your facility can assist with taking action. Use Alliant’s Seasonal Immunization Campaign Calendar and contact your AHS state quality manager for support. If you're already on track, consider hosting a themed event to kick-start your vaccination campaign and acknowledge your team's hard work. Link your kick-off campaign to the Halloween season with a "Respiratory Viruses Can Be Scary" or "Jack Fights Back!" theme. You could also host a theme-naming contest to generate ideas that resonate with your team and get the vaccine energy flowing to make the respiratory viruses go! Download Seasonal Immunization Campaign Calendar
Updated Resource to Increase Vaccination Awareness for Older Adults
Alliant recently updated its Resident and Family Council: The Importance of Vaccines for Older Adults presentation and added a program presenter guide with notes for each slide to help facilitate presentations at Resident and Family Council meetings. This presentation can be part of your seasonal vaccination campaign to increase nursing home residents’ and family/caregiver uptake of flu, COVID, RSV and pneumococcal vaccinations. Download Presentation | Download Presenter Guide
Browse resources our council has worked on below:
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can be dangerous for older adults, especially those who have certain medical conditions, are elderly or frail, or live in a nursing home. The CDC recommends that everyone ages 75 and older get an RSV vaccine. The CDC also recommends adults ages 60–74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease get an RSV vaccine. If you have already gotten an RSV vaccine, you do not need to get another one. Learn More
Checklist: Autumn Safety and Wellness To-Dos for Older Adults
Happy Autumn! This time of year is known as the “season of change.” The weather is growing cooler, the days shorter and the air crisper. As we adjust to the changes of autumn, it’s an ideal time to take action to ensure the safety and wellness of older adults who are aging in place. A FirstLight Care blog provides a checklist to help you prepare for the season. View Checklist
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