FEDERAL NEWS
HRSA Offers More Information on Phase 4 & Rural Provider Relief Funds
The application for this next round of funds opens on September 29th and will remain open for only 4 weeks (estimated closing date, though not confirmed, October 26th/27th). HRSA has also provided additional information on how it will be calculating the payments and the timing of distributing the payments, which are estimated to begin arriving around Thanksgiving. All the new details can be found in this LeadingAge article. If you or your members have questions about Phase 4 or the PRF reporting, Nicole Fallon is available to help.
CDC Funding for Strike Teams to Address Nursing Home Workforce Shortages
The White House announced today $2.1 billion in funding to improve infection prevention and control in healthcare settings. These funds were authorized in the American Rescue Plan; originally assigned to CMS to implement, the program was moved to CDC. CDC will issue $1.2 billion to state, local, and territorial public health departments over the next 3 years, beginning with an initial round of $885 million in October 2021. Of this $885 million, $500 million will go directly to supporting nursing homes. This funding will be used by jurisdictional health departments to staff, train, and deploy state strike teams to:
- Provide surge capacity for clinical care.
- Address staffing shortages.
- Strengthen infection prevention and control activities to prevent,detect, and contain outbreaks, including providing support for COVID-19 boosters.
The remaining $385 million being awarded in October will be used to:
- Address infection prevention and control and issues of health equity across healthcare settings.
- Increase lab capacity to conduct surveillance for emerging pathogens and infectious disease threats.
- Support Project Firstline, a program aimed at educating front-line staff across healthcare settings.
- Increase data and monitoring through the National Healthcare Safety Network to better identify infections in healthcare settings and target interventions.
- Advance antibiotic stewardship programs, including addressing health disparities related to antibiotic use.
CDC detailed that an additional $880 million will be used over the coming years to develop new prevention interventions and capacities for infection prevention and control training, data collection, and technical assistance.
IMPORTANT STATE-SPECIFIC NOTE: LeadingAge Kansas has requested a meeting with KDHE Secretary Lee Norman and his team (and KDADS Secretary Laura Howard and her team) to discuss ways from the provider perspective that the nursing home-targeted funds can be best used. LeadingAge Kansas members are welcome, and encouraged, to send ideas to rachel@leadingagekansas.org, especially related to addressing staffing shortages and surge capacity.
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Weekly Webinar Registration
Join us each Friday at 10 AM to hear the latest on COVID and other important information for organization. Register here.
LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS
LeadingAge Coronavirus Update Call – Wednesday, September 22nd, 2:30 PM Central.
The National Community Pharmacists Association will join the call to provide hands on help for providers looking to connect with local pharmacies for onsite booster clinics (once boosters are available) and generally getting residents and staff vaccinated. If you haven’t registered for LeadingAge Update Calls, you can do so here.
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 28 Resources
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