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Questions for the Alliant Boost Team? Email Booster@allianthealth.org
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August 9, 2022
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In this Issue |
Register for Upcoming Give the Boost a Shot Events *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*
- Thursday, August 18, 2022 from 2:00-2:45pm ET/ 1:00-1:45pm CT: NHSN Shop Talk - REGISTER
- Thursday, August 25, 2022 from 12:30-1 p.m. ET/ 11:30-12 p.m. CT: Move the Needle! Tactics for a Successful Immunization Campaign - REGISTER
- Boost events are continuing into September! We want to hear from you on topics!
Best Practice of the Week/ Center Highlight of the Week
- Monthly Vaccination Clinics in Florida
Latest Guidance/Updates
- National COVID-19 Booster Campaign Relaunch
- CDC recommends Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for adults
- Boosters for Omicron
- Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
Materials & Resources
- *New Videos* Take 5 Video Playlist with Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System and Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BS, Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor at Alliant Health Solutions
- Your Safe Visitor Policy and Cohorting plans
- Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work
- When to Get Tested for COVID-19
- 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 |
Monthly Vaccination Clinics in Florida
Northbrook Center for Rehabilitation and Healing in Brooksville, Florida credits setting up a monthly COVID-19 vaccination clinic for their vaccination rate success. In addition, their leadership attends resident council meetings to hold an open discussion with the residents about vaccination. The staff also call families directly to see if they can help with vaccination discussions especially when family members are taking the vaccine and boosters already, citing "handouts are ok but 1:1 conversations work best."
If your facility needs assistance with increasing your COVID-19 booster rates, please reach out to us at Booster@allianthealth.org. |
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Latest Guidance/Updates |
- COVID-19 booster campaign with reformulated vaccine to launch in September
The Washington Post (7/29, McGinley, Diamond) https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/29/new-coronavirus-booster-shots/ reported, “The Biden administration is preparing to launch a coronavirus booster campaign in September – weeks earlier than expected – with a new, reformulated vaccine designed to provide stronger protection against the Omicron subvariants sweeping the country, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.” The FDA “said it had received assurances from the vaccine manufacturers – Moderna and Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech – that reformulated boosters will be ready in September.” Also, “the FDA has decided against making adults younger than 50 eligible for second boosters of the existing vaccine, the agency added.” Read More
- CDC recommends Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for adults
The New York Times (7/19, Robbins, Zimmer) reports, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended that a newly authorized vaccine from Novavax be used as an option for adults seeking a primary immunization against the coronavirus.” A CDC advisory panel “unanimously endorsed the vaccine.” The fourth COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S., it “is expected to play a limited role in the country’s immunization campaign, at least initially.” The shot “works differently from the three COVID vaccines previously authorized in the United States,” but CDC polling indicates few Americans who remain unvaccinated plan to seek out Novavax’s vaccine. Read More
- Boosters for Omicron
The Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday [June 30, 2022] that it had advised coronavirus vaccine manufacturers to update their booster formulations to target the fast-spreading Omicron subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5, which are now estimated to account for more than half of new virus cases in the United States. Read More
- Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
CDC's COVID-19 Community Levels are a 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
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Materials & Resources |
 Video Playlist with Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System and Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BS, Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor at Alliant Health Solutions.
- These short videos cover some of the frequently asked questions and common concerns we've from nursing homes across the states we serve related COVID-19 and vaccination. These videos provide quick, to-the-point information and advice to tackle questions and concerns. We will update the list of modules each week! Watch them here.
- Take 5: Welcome Message: The purpose of the modules (~5 minutes) - watch
- Take 5: Vaccine Eligibility Part 1: CDC Recommendations as of 5/19/22. What does it mean to be up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations? - watch
- Take 5: Vaccine Eligibility Part 2: Jeremy and Swati discuss some tough questions like "what if I got COVID between the primary and booster?" or "what if I'm recovering from cancer? or received monoclonal antibodies?" - watch
- Take 5: Overcoming Concerns - watch
- Take 5: Additional Precautions for the Unvaccinated HCP - watch
- Take 5: Walkthrough Care Compare - Finding Public Data - watch
- Take 5: How to stay UTD with Trusted Sources - watch
- Take 5: How does it affect my operations? - watch
- Take 5: Boosters and Variants - watch
- Take 5: Vaccination for Short Stay Residents - watch
- Take 5: Cohorting - watch
- **NEW** Take 5: Novovax - watch
- **NEW** Take 5: Therapeutics - watch
- Your Safe Visitor Policy and Cohorting plans
CMS requested Alliant Health Solutions, your QIN-QIO, to work with nursing homes to understand emerging healthcare needs in the skilled nursing facility and ensure plans addressing safe visitors and cohorting are in place to achieve and maintain health quality and equity. Over the next several months, Alliant Health Solutions will be reaching out to your nursing homes via phone and email to answer two quick questions:
- Does your facility have a formal Cohorting plan?
- Does your facility have a formal Safe Visitor Policy?
- Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work
This website page provides resources and information about how vaccines work. Visit Website
- 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.
- 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, 8/18/22
2-3 p.m. ET/
1-2 p.m. CT
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NHSN Shop Talk Event:
Join Marilee Johnson MBA, MT (ASCP), Alliant Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention, Donald Chitanda, MPH CIC, Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention & Amy Ward, MS, BSN, RN, CIC, Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist for NSHN Shop Talk.
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded for the live event and for the recording for 30 days following the live event* |
Register |
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Thursday, 8/25/22
12-12:30 p.m. ET/
11-11:30 a.m. CT
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**Join us for a combined event**
Community Coalition & Nursing Home Learning and Action Network Event:
In recognition of Immunization month, please join us for a 30-minute educational presentation, Move the Needle! Tactics for a Successful Immunization Campaign.
“Get Back on Track with Routine Vaccines” is the focus of National Immunization Month. Join us as we talk about current guidance and documentation, energizing your teams for a successful campaign, and elevating the importance of vaccination status in patient transfer documentation. You’ll learn the steps to create a successful vaccine campaign, understand best practices for documentation and transfer of vaccine status across care transitions, and learn about this year’s campaign.
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded for the live event and for the recording for 30 days following the live event* |
Register |
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Thursday, 9/1/22
2-2:45 p.m. ET/
1-1:45 p.m. CT
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Give the Boost a Shot: BINGO! – Activity and Meal Guidance During Outbreaks
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded* |
Register |
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Thursday, 9/22/22
2-2:45 p.m. ET/
1-1:45 p.m. CT
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Give the Boost a Shot: Flu, Pneumonia and COVID Vaccines – Oh My!
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded* |
Register |
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Give the Boost a Shot Event Recordings |
All Give the Boost a Shot Recordings are available at this YouTube Playlist. The latest recordings are listed below.
| Thursday, 8/4/22 |
Novovax: Game Changer for the Unvaccinated - Watch |
| Thursday, 7/28/22 |
COVID and Vaccination Status Update - Watch |
| Thursday, 7/7/22 |
The Latest Treatment Options Against Omicron: Therapeutics and More… - Watch |
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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 program includes the following services and activities:
- Second Tuesday: 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.
- Twice monthly 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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