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December 13, 2022
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In this Issue |
Register for Upcoming Give the Boost a Shot Events *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*
- Thursday, December 15, 2022 from 2:00-3:00pm ET/ 1:00-2:00pm CT: NHSN Shop Talk - REGISTER
- Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 2:00-2:45pm ET/ 1:00-1:45pm CT: How To Increase The Number of Your Residents “Up To Date” By Overcoming Family Objections To “Another Shot” - REGISTER **Now on Zoom**
- Thursday, January 26, 2023 from 2:00-2:45pm ET/ 1:00-1:45pm CT: How To Use Available Treatments to Decrease Impact of Covid-19 Outbreaks - REGISTER **Now on Zoom**
- We want to hear from you on topics!
Best Practice of the Week/ Center Highlight of the Week
- Breaking Down Barriers in Baton Rouge
- Has your facility been successful in achieving your goals for your resident’s booster rates? Please share how you achieved success, helping to spread success by sharing with your peers!
Latest Guidance/Updates
- Nursing Home Industry Reacts to White House COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Campaign (ahcancal.org)
- CMS QSO Memo: Importance of Timely Use of COVID-19 Therapeutics
- CDC released updated Quick Reference Guide: Reporting up to date COVID-19 vaccination status through the COVID-19 Vaccination Modules
- CDC COCA Webinar, Tuesday, 12/13 @ 2pm ET: Clinical Guidance and Patient Education for Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines
- High Levels of Respiratory Illness across US
- Highlights From the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022—COVID-19’s Ripple Effects
- CDC: Bivalent boosters better at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 than previous shots
- COVID-19 and Excess All-Cause Mortality in the US and 20 Comparison Countries, June 2021-March 2022
- Share with Friends & Family: Finding an Updated Bivalent Booster
- CMS: Quality in Focus (QIF) Provider/Supplier Training
- Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
Materials & Resources
- **NEW** A message from Dr. Swati Gaur, nursing home medical director - protecting your loved ones this holiday season
- Bivalent Myths and Facts
- Vaccination Weeks of Action
- 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 |
Breaking Down Barriers in Baton Rouge
Old Jefferson Community Care Center shared that the barrier they are encountering with boosters is that short term residents who request boosters may not be present at the times their usual pharmacy schedules clinics. Their solution is to partner with another pharmacy in the area that sends a pharmacist to meet these short-term residents, or sometimes they arrange transportation for the residents to be taken to this alternative pharmacy to get their boosters when they request them. They emphasized that they are "here for the residents" - we agree. Way to go Old Jefferson Community Care Center! Thanks for sharing this best practice with us.
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 |
- Nursing Home Industry Reacts to White House COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Campaign (ahcancal.org)
The two largest associations representing America's nursing homes and other long-term care and senior living facilities—the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) and LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services—issued a joint statement today in reaction to the White House announcement of a six-week campaign through the end of the year urging Americans and especially seniors to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine. Read More
- CMS QSO Memo: Importance of Timely Use of COVID-19 Therapeutics
- CDC released updated Quick Reference Guide: Reporting up to date COVID-19 vaccination status through the COVID-19 Vaccination Modules
- CDC COCA Webinar, Tuesday, 12/13 @ 2pm ET: Clinical Guidance and Patient Education for Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines - register | watch recording
- The Hill (12/3, Gans) said the CDC “reported that 31 U.S. jurisdictions, which include territories and Washington, D.C., had ‘very high’ levels of respiratory illness and 16 jurisdictions had ‘high’ levels last week.”
- Highlights From the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022—COVID-19’s Ripple Effects
From 2010 to 2019, using a CDC [US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] database looking at death certificates, we’d seen that cardiovascular mortality was slowly coming down and had dropped over those 9 to 10 years by about 9% or 10%. When COVID hit, we actually saw the cardiovascular event rates and mortalities going up. In fact, in 2020 the cardiovascular death rate went up by 4.1%. That represented losing about 5 years of progress that we’d been making. Read More
- CDC: Bivalent boosters better at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 than previous shots
Bloomberg Law (11/22, Langreth, Muller, Subscription Publication) reports bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech “that fight the latest Omicron variants provide only modest short-term protection against mild infections, and experts say it’s still unclear whether the updated shots are any better than earlier versions at preventing hospitalization and severe illness.” These “bivalent boosters were just 43% effective at preventing mild illness compared to receiving no vaccine in adults 49 and under, according to a” CDC study.
- COVID-19 and Excess All-Cause Mortality in the US and 20 Comparison Countries, June 2021-March 2022
The US experienced high COVID-19 death rates and higher excess all-cause mortality compared with peer countries during 2020. However, an important question is how cross-national differences in mortality shifted during 2021 and 2022 with both widespread availability of vaccination and new variants. We compared COVID-19 and excess all-cause mortality in the US, the 10 most- and least-vaccinated states, and 20 peer Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries during the Delta and winter Omicron waves. Read More
- Share with Friends & Family: Finding an Updated Bivalent COVID-19 Booster
CDC recommends that people ages 5 years and older receive one updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was:
- Their final primary series dose, or
- An original (monovalent) booster
- People who have gotten more than one original (monovalent) booster are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) booster.
- To find an updated bivalent booster:
- Search https://www.vaccines.gov/
- Text your zip code to 438829
- Call 1-800-232-0233
- Quality in Focus (QIF) Provider/Supplier Training
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed a series of interactive videos called “Quality in Focus” (QIF) on the Quality, Safety & Education Portal (QSEP). The 10-15 minute videos are self-paced. They will help providers and suppliers participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs better understand how to improve health and safety in facilities.
- The QIF series aims to increase the quality of care for people with Medicare and Medicaid by reducing the deficiencies most commonly cited during the CMS survey process, such as infection control and accident prevention. These resources will help providers and suppliers better understand surveyor evaluation criteria, recognize deficiencies, and incorporate solutions into their facilities’ standards of care, so they are more equipped to meet health and safety guidelines.
- The QIF interactive videos are tailored for specific provider and supplier types, with 1-3 videos per type. Each interactive video focuses on a specific health or safety citation with the goal of identifying and resolving these deficiencies. QIF interactive videos are currently available for:
- Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Infection Control Citations
- Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (IICF/IID) Program Implementation Citations
- Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) Local, State, Tribal Collaboration Process Citations -
- Hospice Plan of Care Citations - Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Post-Intervention Debriefing Citations
- Long Term Care (LTC) Treatment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcer Citations
- LTC Free of Accident Citations
- LTC Medication Error Citations
- Outpatient Physical Therapy (OPT) Equipment, Buildings, and Grounds Maintenance Citations
- Comprehensive Outreach Rehabilitation Facility (CORF) Local, State, Tribal Collaboration Process Citations
- Home Health Agency (HHA) Incomplete Individualized Plan of Care Citations
- Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Preventative Maintenance Program Citations
- Portable X-ray Personnel Monitoring Citations
- End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Cleaning and Disinfecting Citations ---- Hospital Patient Safety
- Please note that the information in the interactive videos is for informational purposes and is not meant to take the place of statutes, regulations, or official CMS policy. Visit the Quality, Safety & Education Portal (QSEP) Training Catalog at https://qsep.cms.gov/ProvidersAndOthers/publictraining.aspx to access the “Quality in Focus” interactive videos. The videos can be found under the Quality in Focus tab. text
- 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, Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BS, State Quality Manager, Kentucky at Alliant Health Solutions, and Lisa Davies, CPHQ, LNHA, RD, LD, Quality Improvement Initiative Manager 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: New Bivalent Boosters - Everything you need to know - watch
- Take 5: Immunization Best Practices - watch
- Take 5: Best Practices to Integrate Immunizations into Your QAPI Program - watch
- **NEW** A message from Dr. Swati Gaur, nursing home medical director - protecting your loved ones this holiday season - watch & share with families
- Bivalent Myths and Facts Flyers: Please print, post, and share these short flyers debunking the myths and misconceptions about the Bivalent Boosters.
- Vaccination Weeks of Action: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) kicked off the Vaccination Weeks of Action campaign on October 13, 2022, to encourage more people to get the updated COVID-19 booster. The following resources are available to help providers, community-based organizations and others actively promote the updated booster and build vaccine confidence during these weeks of action:
- 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?
- Theater for Vaccine Hesitancy—Setting the Stage for Difficult Conversations
With almost one-quarter of Americans unwilling to get immunized with available COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine hesitancy remains a substantial obstacle to controlling the coronavirus pandemic. This essay describes our experience with a Theater for Vaccine Hesitancy training program that uses improvisational theater techniques to help health care workers have collaborative conversations with unvaccinated patients about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. Read More
- 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* |
Thursday, 12/15/22
2-3 p.m. ET/
1-2 p.m. CT |
NHSN Shop Talk
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded* |
Register |
Thursday, 1/5/23
2-2:45 p.m. ET/
1-1:45 p.m. CT |
Give the Boost a Shot: How To Increase The Number of Your Residents “Up To Date” By Overcoming Family Objections To “Another Shot” **Now on Zoom**
*ANCC Contact Hours Awarded* |
Register |
Thursday, 1/26/23
2-2:45 p.m. ET/
1-1:45 p.m. CT |
Give the Boost a Shot: How To Use Available Treatments to Decrease Impact of Covid-19 Outbreaks **Now on Zoom**
*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, 12/1/22 |
BOOST: Changing Covid-19 Guidelines: How do we make the right decision? Part 2 - Watch |
| Thursday, 11/3/22 |
BOOST: Changing Covid-19 Guidelines: How do we make the right decision? Part 1 - Watch |
| Thursday, 10/27/22 |
Click. Click…How many clicks does it take to find accurate information on COVID Vaccines? - Watch |
| Thursday, 10/6/22 |
What does it mean to be up to date? - Watch |
| Thursday, 9/22/22 |
COVID 19, Influenza and Immunization Programs – Oh My! - Watch |
| Thursday, 9/1/22 |
BINGO! – Activity and Meal Guidance During Outbreaks - Watch |
| Thursday, 8/25/22 |
Move the Needle! Tactics for a Successful Immunization Campaign - 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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