KANSAS UPDATES
- Here is a list of COVID-19 lab and testing resources. Our thanks to Congressman Marshall’s team for compiling and sharing this.
- There are 3,491 cases of COVID-19 in Kansas today. These numbers represent ONLY individuals that have had a positive COVID-19 test. | Map of COVID-19 in KS.
The State of Kansas has received a Battelle Decontamination system. This system can decontaminate up to 80,000 N95 masks per day. Begin saving your N95 masks now. Read up on how the program will work.
N95 Operations State of Kansas COVID – 4-27-20 – This document gives you step by step instructions on how to get the process started.
FAQ & N95 Type – Battelle State of Kansas 4-27-20 – This document covers several frequently asked questions and the list of N95 respirators which are and are not eligible to be decontaminated. (Scroll to page 5)
Battelle – emergency- services-agreement-with-ppe-task-order – This is for sample purposes ONLY to start the legal review through your approval process. Your official document will come from Battelle after you apply.
An updated document will be shared later in the week which more clearly outlines the transportation options of the respirators to and from the decontamination unit. We encourage you to work with your county emergency manager or local health department if you have additional questions.
FEDERAL UPDATES
- CMS Freezes Health Inspection Rating; Issues FAQs.
- CMS Suspends Accelerated and Advanced Payment Programs.
- States Leverage Medicaid to Provide Nursing Homes a Lifeline through COVID-19.
- CMS PACE Stakeholder Call:CMS will hold a stakeholder call for PACE organizations and Medicare Advantage and Part D plans on April 29 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The call will cover “the 2021 Rate Announcement, as well as guidance related to the COVID-19 outbreak for MA organizations, PACE organizations, and Part D.” The conference line will be available at 1:45pm: (888) 989-6413, meeting ID 3744207.
LEADINGAGE NATIONAL UPDATES
PPE Possibly Headed to Nursing Homes—But We Demand More: Early news reports and LeadingAge’s Washington insiders say the federal government will finally respond to our ongoing demand to make PPE available to aging services providers across the country. Packages containing an indeterminate supply of PPE may begin going out to nursing homes in early May. After repeated pleas from LeadingAge and thousands of advocates during our National Day of Action for Aging Services, it’s heartening to hear that the government is taking action. We’ll share more details as they become available.
This is good news for members like Cobble Hill Health Center in New York, which sent repeated appeals for equipment and support to their local Health Department, but still saw shortages so severe that staff resorted to trash bags as protection. (Read media coverage of their story here.) Does this sound familiar? Please email our media manager Lisa Sanders if you’re willing to share your story with the press in our fight for greater support for all our members.
This forthcoming action from the Feds is welcome—but not nearly enough. We are continuing to fight on the Hill and in the media for access and prioritization of PPE to the entire continuum of care, as well as access to testing and additional funding support.
Advance Care Planning and Serious Illness Communication: Aging services providers are no strangers to helping older people and their families navigate serious illness and end-of-life decisions. But in the face of COVID-19, advance care planning is more important than ever.
We’ve gathered materials and resources to help you have conversations with residents and clients who are high risk for serious complications of COVID-19. On our Advance Care and Serious Illness Resources page, you’ll find trusted resources offering tools, tips, advice, and best practices focused on COVID-19.
And in case you missed it, listen to the recording of our April 17 Coronavirus Daily Member Update call when Dr. Danielle Doberman spoke about advance care planning and serious illness communication A handout she created for our members can be found here.
Other resources from LeadingAge:
- LeadingAge’s Daily Need to Know for 4-28-2020.
- Coronavirus Daily Member Update Recording for 4-27-2020. Please register for live online updates here.Miss a call? Check out the call archives.
- COVID-19 Member Community – The Member Community is an online discussion forum between LeadingAge members about all things COVID-19. Join the COVID-19 group to ask questions, access resources, and share best practices for dealing with the coronavirus.
- Email COVID-19 Questions to: covid19@leadingage.org.
- A complete timeline of insights, tools, and useful links is available here.
RESOURCES
- Five dollar COVID-19 Safety Training: NextStep’s informal online course is designed to improve the safety of caregivers of all kinds working with COVID-19 patients in all settings. Through May 2, staff at LeadingAge members can use code LEADINGAGE5 at check-out to access the program for just $5.
LEADINGAGE KANSAS EDUCATION ON COVID-19
Weekly COVID-19 Calls
Don’t forget to join us next Friday at 10 AM to talk all things COVID-19. Register now.
- Miss a weekly webinar update? Check out the archives.
Upcoming Webinars
- April 29, 2020 1-2 PM | Webinar: QSEN and COVID.
- April 30, 2020 1-2 PM | Webinar: Leading in Times of Uncertainty.
- May 14, 2020 1-2 PM | Webinar: Caring Through COVID-19 – Navigating the Pandemic.
