‘Significant ramp-up’ of vaccinations coming for long-term care; AHCA happy with process
By
Danielle Brown
Jan 07, 2021
Vaccination efforts in long-term care facilities are expected to accelerate noticeably in the coming days and weeks, the nation’s top federal health official asserted Wednesday.
Antibiotics overused in COVID-19 patients, analysis finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 07, 2021
Fully three quarters of COVID-19 patients receive antibiotics, although fewer than 10% have a bacterial infection, according to a new research review.
Providers get relief from Medicare cuts, but no liability protections in year-end legislative packages
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 22, 2020
Providers are set to receive extended relief from the 2% Medicare sequester cuts under a year-end legislative relief deal that was finalized by federal lawmakers on Monday. However, they will have to wait...
Feds pledge 30 million more coronavirus tests for 2021
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 18, 2020
The additional allotment will allow officials to keep providing Abbott BinaxNow tests to skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and other vulnerable groups through at least March, said...
FDA approves first fully at-home COVID-19 test
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 17, 2020
Results are available in about 20 minutes via a mobile phone app, and the test is more than 90% accurate in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, the agency announced Tuesday.
Parkinson: Vaccinate all long-term care by March and slash coronavirus mortality 40 percent
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 08, 2020
A one-month delay “could result in more than 20,000 of our residents losing their lives when a vaccine could have saved them,” AHCA / NCAL leader Mark Parkinson said Monday.
Watchdog gives CMS ‘urgent’ order: Create solid plan to act on nursing home commission’s...
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 03, 2020
A new government report is calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to “quickly” develop a course of action on how it plans to respond and implement recommendations made by a federal...
Clinicians key to boosting coronavirus vaccine confidence, CDC says
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 02, 2020
A new webpage provides 10 “need to know” topics regarding vaccination against COVID-19 that clinicians can relay to patients in their care.
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...
1 in 8 nursing home workers have completed COVID-19 training program, CMS says
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 18, 2020
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is calling for more nursing home staff members to complete its new training program designed to help stop the spread of COVID-19.