16 states file new lawsuit against healthcare worker COVID vaccine mandate
By
Danielle Brown
Feb 08, 2022
Sixteen states are making another push to stop the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers nearly a month after the Supreme Court upheld the regulation.
Makers of newer vaccines tout advantages as trial results and approvals announced
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 01, 2021
Two drugmakers say their vaccines, which include J&J’s one-dose candidate, are effective against new coronavirus variants, while AstraZeneca’s vaccine is now approved for adults across the...
Improving indoor air quality is new focus of national COVID mitigation strategy
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Dec 08, 2022
Improving this quality measure is key to reducing the toll that respiratory viruses are taking on vulnerable older adults. But current regulations are “simply out of date,” experts say.
White House ‘tripledemic’ focus turns to improving facility air quality
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Dec 08, 2022
One of the best ways to battle the current onslaught of respiratory viruses that is battering older adults and other vulnerable populations is focusing more on improving indoor air quality.
As antipsychotic use appears to backslide among nursing home residents, risks mount
By
Kimberly Marselas
Oct 11, 2021
For more than a decade, patient advocates and federal regulators have called for a reduction in nursing homes’ use of antipsychotic medications, a class of drugs once widely associated with controlling...
Providers hesitant to require staff vaccinations due to worker shortages
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 06, 2021
Ongoing staffing struggles in the long-term care industry are preventing some providers from making the COVID-19 vaccine a condition of employment for their workers.
CDC gives new pathway for point-of-care reporting on NHSN site
By
Danielle Brown
Oct 16, 2020
A new pathway for reporting results from point-of-care coronavirus testing devices is now available for long-term care providers on the National Healthcare Safety Network.
HHS extends coverage for COVID-19 screening at nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 01, 2020
Nursing homes in states that prohibit the use of point-of-care COVID-19 tests to screen for the disease can now do so after the Department of Health and Human Services extended coverage to include congregate...
White House plan to distribute 7 million N95 respirators to nursing homes welcome, but more still needed
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 19, 2020
A plan to distribute 7 million N95 respirator masks from the federal stockpile to nursing homes is promising but a more coordinated strategy is needed to beat the pandemic, according to a leading industry...
Preparing for litigation after COVID-19
By
Rebecca A. Brommel
Andrew Brantingham
Nov 09, 2020
Long-term care facilities have been in the fight of their lives – and for the lives of their residents – since March. In addition to the usual regulatory requirements, facilities must deal with COVID-19...