STATE NEWS

Highlights of Latest KDHE COVID-19 Update for Local Partners Webinar (August 5^th) 

• Slide 8 – Disease spread trend sharply increased over previous week
• Slide 9 – an average of 837 cases/day as opposed to 618 the previous week
• Slides 10 & 11 – Hospitalization and death trends decreased slightly
• Slide 12 – 2,714 new cases and 20 new deaths reported between Monday 8/2/2021 and Wednesday 8/4/2021.
• Slide 13 – 125 Active Clusters throughout the state (all locations)
• Slide 14 – In LTC: 35 active clusters, 346 cases, 24 hospitalizations and 25 deaths in most recent reporting week.
• Slides 15-17, 47 – Info about variants. 87 counties with variants. Nearly 100% of KDHE sequenced are Delta.
• Slide 18 – Kansas has updated their guidance for isolation and quarantine for vaccinated people, to align with new CDC guidance
• Slide 40 – Vaccination status/intent by demographics.

Listen to the entire webinar here. Download the PowerPoint. Download the Q&A.

The next COVID-19 Update for Local Partners is set for Thursday, August 12 at 10 AM. Register here. Password: KDHECOVID

FEDERAL NEWS

ECHO Compensation
Following what we reported last night about how nursing homes can apply for and receive the compensation that Project ECHO offered each nursing home that sent at least two people to 13 of the 16 cohort meetings, here is a one page communication sheet from Project ECHO and a more detailed “how to” document eligible nursing homes can use to apply for and receive the $6,000 payment.

White House COVID-19 Case Update
Dr. Walensky stated that on August 3rd, the CDC reported 103,455 new cases of COVID with a 7-day average of about 89,463 cases per day, representing an increase of 43.3% from last week. Hospitalizations and deaths from this week compared to the last increased significantly; deaths rose 39.3 percent. Walensky stated that 83% of counties within the United States are experiencing moderate or high transmission. Those at high risk remain people who have not yet been vaccinated. Walensky said that “now is the time to get vaccinated. We know these vaccines are working and we know that they save lives.”

CDC COCA Call: Therapeutic Options to Prevent Severe COVID-19 in Immunocompromised People
The Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) will hold a call Thursday, August 12, 2021, from 1-2 PM Central Time.During this COCA Call, presenters will discuss the FDA’s role in issuing Emergency Use Authorizations for certain monoclonal antibodies, options for compassionate use, the process for ordering and distributing monoclonal antibodies, and current data on using monoclonal antibodies for both non-hospitalized and immunocompromised patients. Presenters will also cover preventing, diagnosing, and treating COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients, including the role of monoclonal antibodies, serologic testing, and potential third dose of COVID-19 vaccinations. For more information, please visit: COCA Calls/Webinars.

LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS

Our Weekly Webinars Return this Friday
Make plans to join us each Friday at 10 AM. Register here. This week’s Special Guest is KDHE Lab Director Myron Gonsalus who will provide info on new types COVID tests, electronic reporting and courier services being offered at the state lab.

Let Nicole if you have specific topics we should add to the agenda.

LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS

Meeting with CMS Administrator 
Friday Katie Sloan, along with a small group of health and long-term care organization CEOs, participated in a listening session with CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. Among the issues Katie raised with the Administrator and the group were nursing home regulation and enforcement concerns, the need for the remaining Provider Relief Funds to be released from HHS, Medicare Advantage’s impact and challenges for post-acute care providers, hospice program integrity audits, and the need for CMMI work on housing plus services, integrated acute, post-acute and long-term care, and technology and LTC. Katie also asked the Administrator to take steps to ramp up CMS and HHS’s efforts to do everything possible to address the workforce issues that all health and LTC providers are currently experiencing. The meeting was very positive. Administrator Brooks-LaSure said she would like to meet with the group regularly.

To Require Staff Vaccination or Not: Lots of Members Are Talking About It  
In response to member inquiry and following his appearance on a recent LeadingAge national coronavirus call, Mark Beggs, CEO of Edenwald Senior Living (Townson, MD) has made available the six communication tools they created to institute a staff vaccine mandate in his community. These include a first and second email announcement; an email announcement for a staff discussion; a mandate policy; and religious exemption and request for medical accommodation forms. He has given permission to share these resources and they are intended as helpful member to member templates only.

This Week’s Online Coronavirus Policy Updates
August 9^th, 2:30 PM CT – Breakthrough infections and surge. Dr. David Dowdy of Johns Hopkins University will discuss breakthrough infections and how to prevent them and will share modeling on the surge.

August 11^th, 2:30 PM – Courtney Wood from Masonicare in Connecticut will talk about how her organization dealt with a small cluster of breakthrough infections in vaccinated residents.

Register now.

New Insights and Tools From LeadingAge
LeadingAge staff experts are developing essential advocacy, guidance, and tools, and curating the most relevant resources for aging services providers, including:​​

• Nursing Home Weekly Recap 
• Life Plan Community Weekly Recap
• Home Health and Hospice Weekly Recap
• PACE Weekly Recap
• Senior Housing Weekly Recap
• Drive for 75: Week 23 Resources
• HUD Publishes FY22 Fair Market Rents
• HUD Awards Grants to Help Older Adult Home Owners Age in Place

​​​​A complete timeline of insights and tools is available here, so you’ll never miss an update.

RESOURCES

• Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Infections, Including Covid 19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, Associated with Large Public Gatherings, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, July 2021
• Public Health Review Podcast: Protecting the Vulnerable C How Public Health Can Better Serve People with Disabilities
• National Immunization Month Resources
• LeadingAge Pandemic Playbook
• Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing Hospitalization Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years
• What to Consider When Planning to Operate a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
  CDC released information regarding what to consider when planning to operate a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. The page also page also provides a checklist of best practices for vaccination clinics held at satellite, temporary, or off-site locations.

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