ODP Announcement 21-044 provides instructions to residential provider agencies who do not anticipate being able to meet the current June 30, 2021 deadline for Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) screens for individuals receiving residential services.

As of June 30, 2021 — the date that ODP established as the extended deadline for completion of the initial Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) screens for individuals receiving residential services — draws near, ODP recognizes that some providers may having difficulty meeting this timeline. Providers who will not complete all required screenings by June 30, 2021, should contact the Regional Program Office and convey to the Regional Program Manager (RPM) the agency’s current plan to complete the required HRSTs, including the date by which these screens will be completed.

Providers with locations in more than one ODP Region should contact the RPM associated with your assigned Administrative Entity responsible for completing provider qualifications.

Though providers will determine the order in which the remaining HRSTs will be completed, ODP has the following recommendations to help providers ensure that the health and safety needs of the individual are being met:

• New admissions should be screened as soon as possible following admission once the individual is accessible in the HRST database.
• Individuals should have an HRST completed within 14 days of any of the following situations:
  • Hospitalization;
  • Injury or illness resulting in treatment beyond first aid;
  • Medication ordered for a new diagnosis;
  • Change in current physical condition or behaviors resulting in increases in the acuity of the service needs;
  • Prescribed change in diet;
  • Choking episode;
  • Unexplained weight loss or gain;
  • New onset of or change in seizure activity;
  • Fecal impaction;
  • Pressure ulcers;
  • Dehydration;
  • New onset or unstable diabetes; and
  • Individual is unable to or declines to follow physician orders for treatment, medication, or other intervention.

As noted in the Pennsylvania Health Risk Screening Tool Protocol Update, each residential provider will identify staff from within the provider organization who will become the trained HRST rater(s). The initial and subsequent HRST screenings must be completed by a trained rater who has completed the HRST online rater training. Assistance with access to the HRST online rater training can be obtained by contacting this email.