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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2020
Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration today issued a universal testing order requiring all nursing homes to complete initial baseline testing no later than July 24. Additionally, the department issued updated testing guidance to all long-term care facilities (LTCFs) through the Health Alert Network (HAN).
“Our goal with implementing this universal testing in nursing homes is to rapidly detect asymptomatic positive residents, manage their care and prevent further transmission of COVID-19 in these living settings,” Secretary of Health Dr. Levine said. “We are working tirelessly to include all long-term care facilities in this strategy as soon as possible. At this point, we are able to successfully expand testing and support to all staff and residents to further protect those in nursing homes across Pennsylvania.”
Between May 11 and May 26 the department implemented a universal testing pilot project in five LTCFs across the commonwealth. The department is also working closely with additional facilities to implement universal testing by providing testing supplies, access to the Bureau of Laboratories and staffing support through the National Guard to train and assist with swabbing.
Thus far, over 75 LTCFs completed widespread testing, and the number of tests in LTCFs has increased 48 percent over the last two weeks, bringing the percent of positive cases in this population to its lowest level since the start of the outbreak.
Additionally, the department shared further information on the testing requirements and frequently asked questions on order.
The updated testing guidance the department issued to all long-term care facilities brings a renewed focus on:
For the purposes of the updated testing guidance, long term care facilities include, but is not limited to, skilled nursing facilities, personal care homes, assisted living residences, community residential rehabilitation services, long-term structured residence, residential treatment facility for adults and intermediate care facilities.
The Wolf Administration’s strategy to protect residents of LTCFs focuses on ensuring resident safety through education, resources and testing; preventing and mitigating outbreaks; and working in partnership with other state agencies, municipal and county health departments and LTCFs.
As of June 5, the department has deployed these mitigation efforts to further stop the spread of COVID-19 and best protect residents and staff of LTCFs:
Through the collaborations and partnerships with ECRI and Patient Safety Authority (PSA), the department provided infection control and technical assistance to over 100 and 90 different LTCFs, respectively. The Educational Support and Clinical Consultation Program (ESCCP) team has provided clinical guidance, advice on infection control strategies, and clinical needs identification to over 250 facilities.
“Throughout this pandemic, we have worked tirelessly to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information,” Secretary of Health Dr. Levine said. “It is essential that nursing homes are providing complete and accurate data to the department so we can collect that information and inform the public. We are committed to working with each facility to ensure they have the support needed to provide high quality care to their patients.”
The long term care facility data mandated by the department includes the number of cases, number of employee cases and number of deaths that have occurred at each facility. Facilities who are not reporting, or not reporting properly, have been assisted to ensure the data is being shared properly. As testing becomes more widespread, it is important that all facilities report all necessary information.
For facilities with less than five in any of the collected data points, the information is redacted to protect patient confidentiality at that facility. If a facility does not have any COVID-19 cases or deaths, it will still be shown on the spreadsheet.
More information on data reporting requirements for nursing home facilities can be found here.
The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics
All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/BeInformed/Signup-For-Alerts.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nate Wardle, 717-787-1783 or ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov
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Register for the webinar on Thursday, June 11 at 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
Join the Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training Center (AT3) and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) for a webinar, High Impact Innovative Assistive Technology (HIIAT) Grants 2020, on Thursday, June 11 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET.
Learn about the PRC’s HIIAT grants program and hear from three past successful HIIAT grant recipients who will provide an overview of their grant-funded projects and accomplishments.
Presenters for the webinar include:
ACL administers the State Assistive Technology (AT) Act Program to support programs that increase knowledge about, access to, and acquisition of assistive technology devices and services for people with disabilities and older adults. Each State and Territory AT Program serves individuals with disabilities of all ages through device demonstrations, device loans, device reutilization, training, technical assistance, public awareness, information and referral, and assistance with obtaining funding for assistive technology, including durable medical equipment and home modifications.
The session will be captioned and recorded. Video can be found within a week after the live event at the AT3Center’s YouTube channel.
ACL funds the Paralysis Resource Center to provide comprehensive information for people living with spinal cord injury, paralysis and mobility-related disabilities and their support networks. Resources include information and referral by phone and email in multiple languages including Spanish; a peer and family support mentoring program; a military and veterans program; multicultural outreach services; quality of life grants; and a national website.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an award of $140 million in additional funding to help prepare for this year’s flu season, which could also come at the same time as a second wave of COVID-19 infections. This additional funding (see the funding chart) is provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and is to be used towards staffing, as well as increasing awareness of the flu vaccine. Additionally, the funding aims to expand access for those who do not have health insurance and those who are at a higher risk of having complications from the flu and are part of the high-risk population.
The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has issued a notice regarding the implementation of a temporary change in the processing of 180-day claims exception requests. This change was made due to the Commonwealth employees who work in Dauphin County and the Capitol Complex that were instructed to telework as of March 16, 2020 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. While these employees were teleworking, OLTL reduced access to the physical site where paper mail is delivered. Therefore, OLTL is requesting that providers email their requests and supporting documentation until further notice.
Providers should follow the instructions below when submitting 180-day claims exception requests via email:
When submitting claims for 180-Day review electronically, please be sure to only send one email per recipient.
Subject line must include:
*Example: 123456789-0001 John Smith 1/1/2019–6/30/2019
Nursing Facility claim requests must attach supporting documentation in the following order:
Direct Care Provider claim requests must attach supporting documentation in the following order:
Questions regarding these instructions should be directed to the OLTL Provider Helpline at 800-932-0939, Option 2.