This week, Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS), Healthcare-Associated Infections Prevention Program (HAI), issued its own communication to providers related to new CDC guidance on Enhanced Barrier Precautions. In addition to reviewing the updated CDC guidance, the state communication also addresses other important points, and raises some additional questions.
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Recently, Department of Health Services (DHS) announced a new grant opportunity that will be open to Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) providers. There will be $30 million of ARPA funding available through two to three rounds of the grant.
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In this message, AHCA/NCAL President & CEO Mark Parkinson discusses the urgent need for the CDC to update its COVID 19 guidance to benefit our residents’ quality of life and to reduce the challenges that the current state of guidance is causing in retaining current staff and attracting new staff.
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This week, WHCA/WiCAL staff participated in two meetings to discuss professional licensing of health care professionals, including RNs, LPNs, and NHAs.
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Approximately $14.5 billion of Phase 4 Payments has been distributed to more than 89,000 providers and 98 percent of applications have been processed. To date, more than $8 billion has been distributed through ARP Rural Payments and 99% of applications have been processed.
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WHCA/WiCAL is currently engaging with UW-Madison about the potential of reviving the UW-Madison online specialized course. As part of our ongoing discussion with UW-Madison, we have been asked to conduct a member survey to learn more about current demand for the program among providers and professionals.
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WHCA/WiCAL is pleased to continue celebrating the great work of Wisconsin’s hard-working long-term care providers with the
2022 Shining Star Awards.
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After a two+ year hiatus, the Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) is resuming its in-person Nurse Aide Training and Testing Forum to take place in La Crosse on Thursday, September 8
th from 8:00 – 3:30.
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The Staff Stability Survey-Aging and Physical Disabilities will collect state and national data on workforce demographics, turnover rates, length of employment, vacancy rates, hourly wages, benefits, recruitment, and retention strategies.
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We encourage all of our WiCAL members to attend the Department of Health Services' next Assisted Living Forum on Tuesday, August 23
rd at 10:00 am.
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From 2020 to present day, the survey process has seen many changes – some temporary and some permanent. Survey policy, along with enforcement protocol, adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and CMS is now establishing new expectations for survey agencies and providers as we all begin to turn our eye toward emerging from the public health emergency. With a new focus on Infection Control in light of COVID-19, facility staff need to make sure basic and specialized processes are in place while implementing ever changing, more stringent protocols.
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Assisted living centers now have access to free COVID-19 testing for their staff and residents through December 31, 2022. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Operation Expanded Testing (OpET) program expanded access to free testing nationwide to now include assisted living communities, which previously targeted schools, shelters, and correctional facilities.
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