In this Issue

Best Practice of the Week/ Center Highlight of the Week

• Celebrating Commons at Orlando Lutheran Towers

• The Vaccine Mandate & Supreme Court Decision - how does this impact nursing homes?
• Order FREE at home COVID tests from COVIDtests.gov
• CDC updates consumer mask website to emphasize protection, fit, and comfort
• Biden administration to ship free 400 million N95 masks across the US starting this week
• Download the latest CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on Delta and Omicron surges and vaccine efficacy

• Infographics, talking points and sample social media graphics regarding COVID-19 vaccines
• Recording from the Kick Off event on 1/19

• Education on Wednesdays *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*
  • Wednesday, January 26, 2022: Join Rosa Abraha, MPH, Health Equity Lead, Alliant Health Solutions for a presentation on COVID-19 Vaccine Booster and Health Equity from 2:00-2:30 p.m. ET/ 1:00-1:30 p.m. CT - REGISTER
• Clinician Office Hours on Thursdays
  • Thursday, January 27, 2022: Join Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF on Thursday, 1/27 for a kick off of our clinician office hours – this session is open to all. The format will be a brief presentation followed by Q&A session (30-minute timeframe) from 2:00-2:30 p.m. ET/ 1:00-1:30 p.m. CT - REGISTER

Best Practice/Center of the Week

Celebrating Commons at Orlando Lutheran Towers: The facility had a trusted staff member submit for an antibody levels test PRIOR to receiving the booster. The staff member was then boosted and waited 10 days and completed a second round of antibody level testing. The results were 200 pre-booster and 2000+ post-booster. This is a 10-fold increase in protection. They created a visual to post and share with both residents and staff who had received a primary vaccination, but were hesitant or unsure of the booster. Contact Jeremy Bischoff to hear more about this best practice.

Share your best practices! Email Leighann: Leighann.Sauls@allianthealth.org

Latest Guidance/Updates

• CMS QSO Memos to Enforce Vaccine Mandate Nationwide
  The U.S. Supreme Court has stayed the preliminary injunctions against enforcement of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) interim final rule. This means CMS can enforce its vaccine mandate in states previously exempted due to the stay. CMS has released QSO memos with separate deadlines for implementation. All other provisions are the same.
  • The December 28, 2021 QSO Memo applies to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
  • The January 15, 2022 QSO Memo applies to providers in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. The
  • January 20, 2022 QSO Memo applies to Texas.
• Order FREE at home tests on the new government website: https://www.covidtests.gov/ 
  Each household in the U.S. can now have four free COVID-19 at-home tests shipped directly to their home at no cost! All you need to do is visit COVIDtests.gov and enter your contact information and mailing address. Order Now The tests are rapid antigen "at-home" or "self" tests — not PCR tests which require a lab drop-off. The "at-home" or "self" tests can be taken anywhere and give results within 30 minutes. Guard against scammers trying to steal your personal information. When ordering tests, use the official, secure government website: https://COVIDtests.gov. Watch out for phone scammers, too. If you get a phone call requesting information so that free at-home tests can be mailed to you, hang up — it's a scam! Remember: Medicare pays for COVID-19 tests performed by a lab, such as PCR or antigen/rapid tests, at no cost to you when the test is ordered by an authorized health care professional. Those in a Medicare Advantage Plan should check with their plan to see if their plan offers coverage and payment for at-home tests.
• CDC updates consumer mask website to emphasize protection, fit, and comfort:
  CDC has updated our consumer webpage describing the types of masks and respirators used to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Masking is a critical public health tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and it is important to remember that any mask is better than no mask. To protect yourself and others from COVID-19, CDC continues to recommend that you wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently. The updated page will lay out the protection provided by available masks and respirators, noting that some provide better protection than others. These updates to our webpage reflect the science on masking, including what we have learned in the past two years, and will provide people the information they need to improve how well their masks or respirators protect them. We will continue to share the science of masking as it becomes available.
• Biden administration to ship free 400 million N95 masks across the US starting this week
  Americans will be able to pick up their masks at one of "tens of thousands" of pharmacies, thousands of community centers and other locations across the country beginning late next week, the White House said.
• Download the latest CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) which has graphs representing effects of vaccination and boosters on cases and deaths during Delta and Omicron surge

New Materials & Resources

• Click HERE or visit https://bit.ly/GiveTheBoostAShot to download helpful resources and materials.
• Download the Public Health Communication Collaborative toolkit. It includes infographics, talking points and sample social media graphics regarding COVID-19 vaccines. 
• In case you missed it, watch the recording from the Give the Boost a Shot Kickoff call from January 19, 2022. Find out how effective boosters are in reducing infections. Check this out!           

Upcoming Give the Boost a Shot Events

Join us and invite clinical colleagues every Wednesdays for an educational event awarding ANCC Contact Hours. On Thursdays, we'll take a deeper dive into your challenges and questions during Clinician Office Hours. Each week we will focus on the concerns and questions from different clinician groups. 

• First Thursday of the Month: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake (Audience: NH Admins, DONs, Direct Care Staff) - Led by Jeremy Bischoff LHNA, BA – Alliant Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor
• Second Thursday of the Month: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Infection Prevention (Audience: Facility IPs) – Led by Amy Ward MS, BSN, RN, CIC – Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist
• Third Thursday of the Month: Clinician Office Hours: NSHN Shop Talk (audience NSHN users) - Led by Marilee Johnson MBA, MT (ASCP) – Alliant Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention
• Fourth Thursday of the Month: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake (audience MD, PA, Advance Practice staff) – Led by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF

Date/Time	Event		Registration Link
Wednesday, 1/26/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event: Join Rosa Abraha, MPH, Health Equity Lead, Alliant Health Solutions, for a presentation on COVID-19 Vaccine Booster and Health Equity *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 1/27/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours: Join Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF on Thursday, 1/27 for a kick off of our clinician office hours – this session is open to all. The format will be brief presentation followed by Q&A session (30 minute timeframe).		Register
Wednesday, 2/2/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 2/3/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake – (Audience: NH Admins, DONs, Direct Care Staff) Led by Jeremy Bischoff LHNA, BA – Alliant Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor		Register
Wednesday, 2/9/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 2/10/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Infection Prevention (Audience – Facility IPs) Led by Amy Ward MS, BSN, RN, CIC – Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist		Register
Wednesday, 2/16/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 2/17/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours & Shop Talk: Clinician Office Hours: NSHN Shop Talk (audience NSHN users) Led by Marilee Johnson MBA, MT (ASCP) – Alliant Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention		Register
Wednesday, 2/23/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 2/24/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake - (audience MD, PA, Advance Practice staff) Led by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF		Register
Wednesday, 3/2/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 3/3/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake – (Audience: NH Admins, DONs, Direct Care Staff) Led by Jeremy Bischoff LHNA, BA – Alliant Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor		Register
Wednesday, 3/9/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 3/10/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Infection Prevention (Audience – Facility IPs) Led by Amy Ward MS, BSN, RN, CIC – Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist		Register
Wednesday, 3/16/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 3/17/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours & Shop Talk: Clinician Office Hours: NSHN Shop Talk (audience NSHN users) Led by Marilee Johnson MBA, MT (ASCP) – Alliant Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention		Register
Wednesday, 3/23/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 3/24/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake - (audience MD, PA, Advance Practice staff) Led by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF		Register
Wednesday, 3/30/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Education Event *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*		Register
Thursday, 3/31/22 2-2:30 ​​​​p.m. ET/  1-1:30 p.m. CT	BOOST Office Hours:		Register

About the Give the Shot a Boost Program

Alliant Health Solutions received a direct change order from CMS to provide support to nursing homes to help accelerate resident vaccination rates. This intensive 12-week program includes the following services and activities:

• Tuesdays: You will receive a weekly email bulletin dedicated to this program with the latest updates and tools you can use to help increase vaccination and booster rates.
• Wednesdays: Participate in a weekly educational event for all nursing homes to provide the latest information and tools to help accelerate rates.
• Thursdays: Take advantage of weekly office hours sessions for clinicians to share best practices, updates in clinical guidance, and science. 
• A dedicated website page with resources and materials.
• Access to experts in epidemiology, quality improvement, and infection control. 
  • Assistance Hotline: 1-888-519-4128

For more information about Alliant Health Solutions, visit the website: quality.allianthealth.org.

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