BREAKING: CMS sets new vaccination targets for another 24 states
By
James M. Berklan
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 14, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Friday that providers in 24 states added to the federal vaccine mandate roster Thursday have until March 15 to become fully vaccinated.
Pharmacies to long-term care: Get in front of COVID-19 vaccination questions
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 07, 2020
With vaccine approval anticipated shortly, the best communicators will have the smoothest Phase 1 vaccination process, say Omnicare and PharMerica. Community pharmacies have recommendations as well.
AMDA to feds: Delay antibody treatment in nursing homes, engage LTC medical directors
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 09, 2020
“This is the right therapy, but it needs more study … and it needs engaged medical director oversight and supervision,” says AMDA’s Executive Director Chris Laxton. Emergency approval of COVID...
Rare cases of COVID-19 relapse seen with Pfizer pill
May 10, 2022
Reports of symptoms returning in patients several days after completing the five-day regimen of Paxlovid
‘Trajectory seems good,’ nation’s top nursing home leader says about COVID recovery
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 04, 2021
The leader of the nation’s largest nursing home association says he is encouraged about the potential for a census rebound in the nation’s facilities.
One incontestable pandemic truth
By
Gary Tetz
Dec 02, 2021
Though I strongly support the concept of gratefulness, I’m not much for delivering public speeches about it, even to close friends or family around the Thanksgiving table. Truth be told, I generally...
The waiting is the hardest part
By
John O'Connor
May 03, 2021
Our ride on the pandemic Tilt-A-Whirl won’t last indefinitely but it’s not over yet.
COVID vaccine protects elderly; delivery program has buy-in from nearly all U.S. nursing homes
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 19, 2020
Fully 99% of skilled nursing facilities nationwide have signed on with the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program vaccine delivery initiative, HHS says. The news arrived just as Pfizer...
And we adjusted: Looking to the past to inform the present and future
By
Martie Moore
Sep 24, 2021
I, like many, obtained my nursing license during a time of turmoil and fear. We did not wear gloves, nor masks, as we dealt with blood, body fluids or airborne infectious pathogens. We did not wear any...
When the fog lifts
By
Gary Tetz
Sep 16, 2021
I fancy myself a brave and intrepid hiker, and a couple weeks ago chose a particularly daunting trail that was rumored to lead to some of the best possible views of Mount Hood, the 11,249-foot peak that...