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Questions for the Alliant Boost Team? Email Booster@allianthealth.org
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May 10, 2022
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In this Issue |
Register for Upcoming Give the Boost a Shot Events *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*
- Thursday, May 12, 2022 from 2-2:30 p.m. ET/ 1-1:30 p.m. CT: BOOST Shop Talk: Join us for an interactive webinar event, I don't have time for this! Before COVID your plates were full, now they are overflowing. This session will dive into these issues and provide a forum for Nursing homes to share in a safe place how to learn and grow from one another. Hosted by Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BS, Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor at Alliant Health Solutions and featuring commentary by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System. REGISTER
- We are now booking Boost events into June. We want to hear from you on topics!
Best Practice of the Week/ Center Highlight of the Week
- Hard Work and Determination Pays Off - celebrating you!
Latest Guidance/Updates
- Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions
- MMWR Update May 6, 2022 - Effectiveness of a COVID-19 Additional Primary or Booster Vaccine Dose in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Nursing Home Residents During Widespread Circulation of the Omicron Variant — United States, February 14–March 27, 2022
- CDC COVID Variant Tracker
- Research suggests some people with long COVID may have been asymptomatic, experienced mild infection
Materials & Resources
- When to Get Tested for COVID-19
- Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
- COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Calculator
- The Adult Vaccine Assessment Tool
- Flyer: Visitor Talking Points
- Poster: Attention Vistors
- Poster: Why I Got Vaccinated
- Click HERE or visit https://bit.ly/GiveTheBoostAShot to download helpful resources and materials.
Check in: How are we doing? Are you finding the events and materials helpful?
Give the Boost a Shot Event Recordings
About Give the Boost a Shot
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Best Practice/Center of the Week |
Hard Work and Determination Pays Off
| Many facilities across Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida are working with Alliant as part of the CMS Targeted Response Quality Improvement Initiative to increase COVID-19 Booster rates among their residents. Alliant has worked with over 950 facilities through phone calls, onsite visits and educational events to identify root causes and barriers to success. Using this information, these facilities formulated action plans with successful interventions that have led to their success. Today, we celebrate that 177 of these facilities have increased their resident COVID-19 Booster rates from <40% to > 80%. We would also like to recognize that 21 of the 177 have 100% of their residents boosted. Thank you for the hard work and dedication to your residents! |
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If you would like to share your success story, please email Leighann Sauls at Booster@allianthealth.org. We want to hear from YOU!
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Latest Guidance/Updates |
- Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions
Most people with COVID-19 get better within a few days to a few weeks after infection. Some people can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as post-COVID conditions or long COVID. Read More
- MMWR Update May 6, 2022 - Effectiveness of a COVID-19 Additional Primary or Booster Vaccine Dose in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Nursing Home Residents During Widespread Circulation of the Omicron Variant — United States, February 14–March 27, 2022
Analysis of COVID-19 surveillance and vaccination data from approximately 15,000 skilled nursing facilities found that, compared with primary series vaccination only, an additional or booster dose provided greater protection (relative VE = 46.9%) against SARS-CoV-2 infection during Omicron variant predominance. Read More
- CDC COVID Variant Tracker
To identify and track SARS-CoV-2 variants, CDC uses genomic surveillance. CDC's national genomic surveillance system collects SARS-CoV-2 specimens for sequencing through the National SARS-CoV-2 Strain Surveillance (NS3) program, as well as SARS-CoV-2 sequences generated by commercial or academic laboratories contracted by CDC and state or local public health laboratories. Virus genetic sequences are analyzed and classified as a particular variant. The proportion of variants in a population are calculated nationally, by HHS region, and by jurisdiction. The thousands of sequences analyzed every week through CDC’s national genomic sequencing and bioinformatics efforts fuel the comprehensive and population-based U.S. surveillance system established to identify and monitor the spread of variants. Read More
- Research suggests some people with long COVID may have been asymptomatic, experienced mild infection
CNN (5/2, Howard) reports that “emerging research suggests that a small portion of people who now live with long COVID may have showed no COVID-19 symptoms at all when they were initially infected – or their symptoms were mild or unusual.” Estimates of the incidence of long COVID “range from about 30% to more than half of people who have recovered from acute COVID-19,” and “women and older adults appear to be more likely to have it than men and younger adults.” American Medical Association President Gerald E. Harmon, M.D., said, “We do know that even a mild or relatively asymptomatic acute infection with COVID can eventually cause long COVID.” But even though “physicians know more about COVID-19 now than they did two years ago in the early days of the pandemic, the medical community still doesn’t ‘have all the answers’ when it comes to the disease – and especially long COVID, said” Dr. Harmon. Read More
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Materials & Resources |
- When to Get Tested for COVID-19: The Coronavirus Self-Checker is an interactive clinical assessment tool that can help you decide when to seek testing or medical care if you think you have COVID-19 or have come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
- Know Your COVID-19 Community Level: CDC's COVID-19 Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. COVID-19 County Check
- COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Calculator: CDC’s COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation calculator takes the stress out of deciding when, and for how long, people with COVID-19 and close contacts need to stay home, get tested, and wear a well-fitting mask.
- The Adult Vaccine Assessment Tool: CDC’s Adult Vaccine Quiz helps you create a list of vaccines you may need based on your age, health conditions, and more. Click here to take the quiz now!
- Flyer: Visitor Talking Points: This one-page flyer outlines how to talk to visitors about ensuring the safety of nursing home residents and staff while visiting. Download
- Poster: Attention Visitors: This poster outlines practices to help visitors keep nursing homes residents and staff safe. Download
- Poster: COVID-19 Vaccine Booster: Why Should I Get Boosted? Download | In Spanish
- Click HERE or visit https://bit.ly/GiveTheBoostAShot to download helpful resources and materials.
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Upcoming Give the Boost a Shot Events *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded* |
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Thursday, 5/12/22
2-2:30 p.m. ET/
1-1:30 p.m. CT
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BOOST Education & Office Hours Event:
Join us for an interactive webinar event, I don't have time for this!
Before COVID your plates were full, now they are overflowing. This session will dive into these issues and provide a forum for Nursing homes to share in a safe place how to learn and grow from one another. Hosted by Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BS, Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor at Alliant Health Solutions and featuring commentary by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System.
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded* |
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Register |
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Thursday, 5/19/22
2-2:30 p.m. ET/
1-1:30 p.m. CT
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BOOST Education & Office Hours Event:
Join Marilee Johnson MBA, MT (ASCP), Alliant Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention & Amy Ward, MS, BSN, RN, CIC, Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist for NSHN Shop Talk.
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded* |
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Register |
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Thursday, 5/26/22
2-2:30 p.m. ET/
1-1:30 p.m. CT
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BOOST Education & Office Hours Event:
Join us for a 30-minute educational presentation followed by a 15-minute interactive discussion led by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System.
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded* |
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Register |
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Give the Boost a Shot Event Recordings |
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Recorded
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Event
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Recording Link
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Give the Boost a Shot Kick Off Event: Learn the why behind this 12-week program.
With Leighann Sauls, RN, CDN, Program Director (Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee), Alliant Health Solutions, JoVonn Givens, MPH, Program Director (Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana), Alliant Health Solutions, Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BA, Quality Advisor, Alliant Health Solutions, and Lisa Davies, CPHQ, LNHA, RD, LD, Quality Improvement Initiative Manager, Alliant Health Solutions
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Recording |
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Thursday, 1/20/22
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BOOST Office Hours: BOOST Office Hours & Shop Talk: Clinician Office Hours: NSHN Shop Talk (audience NSHN users)
With Marilee Johnson MBA, MT (ASCP), Alliant Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention
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Recording |
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BOOST Education Event: COVID-19 Vaccine Booster and Health Equity
With Rosa Abraha, MPH, Health Equity Lead, Alliant Health Solutions
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Recording |
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Thursday, 1/27/22
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BOOST Office Hours: Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake - (audience MD, PA, Advance Practice staff)
With Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System
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Recording |
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Stacy Hull, LPC, MAC, CPCS, Aim Lead, Behavioral Health, Alliant Health Solutions for part 1 of a presentation on Using Motivational Interviewing to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations
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Recording |
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Thursday, 2/3/22
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BOOST Office Hours:
Join Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BA, Quality Advisor, Alliant Health Solutions for Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake. This Office Hours session is geared toward NH Admins, DONs, and Direct Care Staff. The format will be a brief presentation followed by Q&A session (30-minute timeframe)
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Recording |
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Stacy Hull, LPC, MAC, CPCS, Aim Lead, Behavioral Health, Alliant Health Solutions for Using Motivational Interviewing to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations Part 2: Practical Application. Participants will hear scenarios using the skills of Motivational Interviewing.
Objectives:
- Define Motivational Interviewing
- Understand the OARS in Motivational Interviewing
- Understand interviewing skills and strategies
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Recording |
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Thursday, 2/10/22
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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
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Recording |
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Wednesday, 2/16/22
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Darcy J. Watson, BSN, LNHA, Quality Consultant, Alliant Health Solutions for a session on Vaccine Clinics.
Objectives:
- To demonstrate the recent statistical evidence of booster efficacy
- To ascertain the current challenges with booster uptake (will have polling questions)
- To understand and mitigate the challenges with LTC providers obtaining the booster To assist facilities in conducting efficient and ongoing onsite clinics
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Recording |
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Thursday, 2/17/22
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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
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Recording |
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Wednesday, 2/23/22
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Diane Sanders-Cepeda, DO, CMD, Senior Medical Director, UnitedHealthcare Retiree Solutions to learn more about Long COVID and Boosters.
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Recording |
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Thursday, 2/24/22
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BOOST Office Hours:
Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake
Audience: MD, PA, Advance Practice staff
Turn your cameras on and join in the conversation!
Led by Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF
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Recording |
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BOOST Education Event:
Vaccines: A Glimmer of Hope? Morality or Mandate?
Since the pandemic began, the search for an effective vaccine was thought to be the best way for us to get back to normalcy. In this presentation, Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes, a group of three Atlanta non-profit nursing homes and author of BRUSH FIRE: Covid-19 and our Nursing Homes, reflects on his organization’s techniques and strategies in promoting the COVID-19 vaccine among its staff and residents. Hear lessons learned and practical realities encountered as the organization went from widespread vaccine hesitancy to over 90% staff and resident vaccination. Learning Objectives: At this session, participants will: Learn different strategies for effectively promoting the COVID-19 vaccine Be able to encourage hesitant staff, families, and other stakeholders through a variety of messages and communications Take away practical data to compare COVID-19 activity before and after the organization achieved such a high vaccination rate.
Objectives:
- To demonstrate the recent statistical evidence of booster efficacy
- To ascertain the current challenges with booster uptake (will have polling questions)
- To understand and mitigate the challenges with LTC providers obtaining the booster To assist facilities in conducting efficient and ongoing onsite clinics
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Recording |
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Thursday, 3/3/22
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BOOST Office Hours:
Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake
Audience: NH Admins, DONs, Direct Care Staff - all are welcome!
Turn your cameras on and join in the conversation!
Led by Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BA – Alliant Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor
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Recording |
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Wednesday, 3/9/22
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Darcy J. Watson, BSN, LNHA, Quality Consultant, Alliant Health Solutions for Give the BOOST a Shot - Don't Take "NO" for an Answer. Objectives:
- Review COVID-19 & variant(s) Booster Significance and Eligibility
- Discuss COVID-19 & variant(s) Booster Consent Challenges
- Spotlight COVID-19 & variant(s) Booster Clinic Best Practice Champions
- Provide COVID-19 & variant(s) Booster Clinic Resources
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Recording |
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Thursday, 3/10/22
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BOOST Office Hours:
Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Infection Prevention
Audience: Facility IPs - all are welcome!
Turn your cameras on and join in the conversation!
Led by Amy Ward, MS, BSN, RN, CIC – Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist
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Recording |
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Wednesday, 3/16/22
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Carolyn Brill, Senior Improvement Advisor at Comagine Health for a session on COVID-19 Vaccine High level considerations. Carolyn will share her personal story about getting COVID after her booster and will discuss the related science. Topics covered include:
- Review a few points from March 1 webinar and booster schedule
- Share a personal story
- New England Journal of Medicine study (March 2, 2022) Covid-19 Vaccine Effectiveness against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant
- What can we do to prioritize resident boosters
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Recording |
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Thursday, 3/17/22
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BOOST Office Hours & Shop Talk:
Clinician Office Hours: NSHN Shop Talk
Audience: NSHN users
Led by Amy Ward, MS, BSN, RN, CIC – Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist
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Recording |
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Wednesday, 3/23/22
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Carol O'Connell, Assistant Vice President of Long Term Care and Support Services at Wellstar Paulding Hospital & Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to learn how they managed the roll-out of the vaccines and what they are doing to encourage the booster.
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Recording |
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Thursday, 3/24/22
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BOOST Office Hours:
Clinician Office Hours: Focus on Primary and Booster Uptake
Audience: Facility leadership, MD, PA, Advance Practice staff - all are welcome!
Turn your cameras on and join in the conversation!
Led by Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF
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Recording |
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Wednesday, 3/30/22
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Sherri Creel, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Quality Advisor supporting Alliant's work within the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN) and Shanika Jones, LMHC, MA and Quality Advisor for the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN) for a session on Effective Ways to Manage the Traumatic Experience of COVID-19.
Objectives:
- Have a better understanding of trauma and trauma responses.
- Learn ways a person's culture may impact their response to trauma.
- Learn ways leadership can support staff who are experiencing trauma.
- Learn practical ways to manage personal trauma and distress.
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Recording |
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Thursday, 3/31/22
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BOOST Office Hours:
Clinician Office Hours: Panel Discussion with the Alliant Boost Team
Audience: All are welcome!
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Recording |
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Wednesday, 4/6/22
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BOOST Education Event:
Join Nimalie Stone, MD, MS, Medical Epidemiologist for Long-term Care in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a special session to look at all we’ve accomplished as a spring board to positively transforming the experiences of residents and staff in nursing homes.
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Recording |
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Thursday, 4/14/22
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BOOST Education & Office Hours Event:
Join us for a 15-minute educational presentation titled, Changing Behaviors by Tommy Barnett of North Highland followed by a 30-minute interactive discussion led by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System.
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Recording |
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Thursday, 4/21/22
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BOOST Education & Office Hours Event:
Join Marilee Johnson MBA, MT (ASCP), Alliant Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention & Amy Ward, MS, BSN, RN, CIC, Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist for NSHN Shop Talk.
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Recording |
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Thursday, 4/28/22
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BOOST Education & Office Hours Event:
Join us for a 30-minute educational presentation on Short Term Rehabilitation Facilities – Best Practices in Vaccinating/Boosting followed by a 15-minute interactive discussion led by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System. |
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Recording |
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Thursday, 5/5/22
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BOOST Education & Office Hours Event:
Join us for a 30-minute educational presentation, Vaccine Effectiveness against Variants: Omicron and More, followed by a 15-minute interactive discussion led by Swati Gaur MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System. |
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Recording |
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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.
- Weekly educational events and dedicated time to ask questions.
- A dedicated website page with resources and materials.
- Access to experts in epidemiology, quality improvement, and infection control.
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For more information about Alliant Health Solutions, visit the website: quality.allianthealth.org.
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