CDC Testing and Management Considerations for Co-circulating Respiratory Diseases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidance for testing nursing home residents with respiratory virus symptoms when COVID-19 and flu are co-circulating.

• Residents showing symptoms should be isolated, with staff using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in the care of residents and tested for both respiratory viruses.
• Residents testing positive for either virus should remain in isolation and only be cohorted with other residents who have tested positive for the same virus.
• Residents who have only tested positive for one virus should not be cohorted with residents who have only tested positive for the other virus.

Shine a Light on Stigma Podcast

Episode Seven – Stigma and Substance Use Disorder – A Conversation with Emergency Department Physician Bobby Redwood (Part Two)

This episode is part two of our conversation with emergency medicine physician and opioid use disorder (OUD) expert Dr. Bobby Redwood. Dr. Redwood discusses the challenges, strategies and resources to bring stigma-free, person-centered language to daily interactions with patients with OUD in health care settings.

Nursing Home Naloxone Guide and Toolkit

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identified a need to improve guidance related to meeting the unique health needs of residents with mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders. CMS clarified that when facilities care for residents with these conditions, policies and practices must not conflict with resident rights or other requirements of participation. CMS further clarified that facility staff should have knowledge of signs and symptoms of possible substance use, and are prepared to address emergencies (e.g., an overdose) by increasing monitoring, administering naloxone, initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as appropriate and contacting emergency medical services. This naloxone nursing home toolkit is intended to provide easy-to-adopt policies and procedures for nursing homes that need to implement or improve their emergency response to opioid overdose, which includes naloxone administration.

• Nursing Home Naloxone Policy and Procedure Toolkit (Word)
• Implementation Checklist for Nursing Home Naloxone Policy and Procedure Toolkit (Word)

Meet CMS Requirement: Virtually Facilitated Tabletop Exercise for Skilled Nursing Facilities

Dates and registration.
These facilitated, virtual tabletop exercises with functional elements will meet the CMS requirement for one annual, full-scale, community-based exercise. The scenario will focus on a cybersecurity threat with information technology failure, a commonly identified hazard in a facility hazard vulnerability analysis. Participants will be encouraged to take action to test a functional element of their plan, such as their internal or external communications plan, complete the Incident Action Plan Quick Start form or contact community partners for clarification on their roles and responsibilities. The exercise will be controlled virtually while participants gather in their own skilled nursing facility with their leadership team and invited community partners.

Project Firstline Hand Hygiene Training Session

National Hand Hygiene week is coming up Dec. 5-11. This is a great time to participate in one of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Project Firstline 30-minute training sessions. The sessions will be held on Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. CT and Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. CT.