VACCINE UPDATE
Developments on Challenges to Vaccine Mandate
Monday, we reported that a Federal District Court judge in the Eastern District of Missouri issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting CMS from enforcing the Interim Final Rule (IFR) pending a final trial on the merits of the challenge. The federal government has now filed a notice of appeal to the 8thCircuit Court of Appeals. There is no timeline yet for an opinion from the 8th Circuit. The preliminary injunction only applies to the ten states that are part of this specific litigation: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Last night a federal court judge in the Western District of Louisiana issued an order enjoining and restraining CMS from implementing the Interim Final Rule (IFR) with the vaccine mandates for Medicare and Medicaid providers. The scope of this injunction is nationwide except for the 10 states already covered under the decision issued yesterday by a court in Missouri. It is likely that the Administration will also appeal the Louisiana ruling to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Kansas COVID-19 Vaccination Overview
3,527,294 Total Doses Reported as Administered
– First Dose: 1,763,124
– Second Dose: 1,407,452
– Third Dose: 356,719
- 4,502,000 Total Doses Distributed
– State Distributed: 2,655,020 - 56.8% of Kansans Vaccinated with One Dose
- 49.2% of Kansas Completed COVID-19 Vaccine Series
Source: https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data
STATE UPDATE
Fire Marshal: Vaccine Mandates and Power Strips
The Kansas Fire Marshal has asked us to distribute two new messages from their office concerning vaccination of Fire Marshal inspectors and the use of powers strips in health care.
- Memo on Vaccination Status of State Inspectors
- Memo on Power Strip Usage
- Whtie Paper on Power Strips in Health Care
Kansas COVID-19 Cluster Summary
As of December 1st, there are 5 long-term care facilities with clusters and none are LeadingAge Kansas Members.
Statewide Active COVID-19 Clusters
- Clusters: 157
- Cases: 1,690
- Hospitalizations: 49
Kansas COVID-19: Case Rates
- Cases: 469,767
- Total Case Rate Per 1,000: 155.46
- Daily Cases Diagnosed: 1
Long-Term Care Facilities with Active Cluster Case Information
- Clusters: 20
- Cases: 215
- Hospitalizations: 7
Source: https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Join Us This Friday as Weekly Webinars Resume
We are looking forward to answering all your questions this week about last week’s Legislative Session, the new rules/expectations, updated information from CMS and more. If you haven’t already done so, register here for upcoming calls through the end of the year.
LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS
Tell the Senate to Act for Older Adults
As the Senate debates the historic expansions in housing, services, and workforce in the House-passed Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376), we want to urge Senators to preserve these ground-breaking provisions and increase the funding for new construction of HUD Section 202 homes for low-income older people. However, to preserve maximum choice for older people and their families, there are two provisions in the bill related to nursing home staffing that LeadingAge cannot support without key changes. Retaining the nursing home staffing study and the 24-hour registered nurse coverage requirements as currently written will make it impossible for many nursing homes to survive. We need your help now! Send a message to your U.S. Senators today.
What Do We Know and Not Know About Omicron, What’s the Outlook, and What Do Providers Need to Be Doing or Thinking About Now?
And, how are booster clinics going; what supports are available for LTC providers? On the 2:30 PM CT Update Call on Wednesday, December 1st, we’ll talk with two guest experts. Sonya Bernstein, Senior Advisor to the WH COVID Task Force, will join us to discuss the logistics of booster clinics, how the Administration is supporting providers with scheduling and outreach to staff and residents. In addition, leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Ghinwa Dumyati will share the latest information and what she sees coming in the next few months with COVID. She especially specializes in variants, so we’ll talk with her about the developing situation with Omicron and what it means for aging services providers. If you haven’t registered for LeadingAge Update Calls, you can do so here.
LeadingAge Board Chair Carol Silver Elliott Offers This Message to Members About Celebrating Light and Hope
Your light, our light, may have been dimmed by our experiences but it was never extinguished. Today we shine brighter than ever, proud of the work that we do, privileged to be a part of the lives of so many elders, grateful for the opportunity to serve, support and care.
THANK YOU TO OUR BRONZE SPONSOR
