Gears drawn on a chalkboard

May 13 – Earlier today, CMS released a toolkit developed to aid those who provide oversight and assistance to nursing home facilities, with additional resources to aid in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic within nursing homes.

The toolkit provides detailed resources and direction for quality improvement assistance and can help in the creation and implementation of strategies and interventions intended to manage and prevent the spread of COVID-19 within nursing homes. The toolkit outlines best practices for a variety of subjects ranging from infection control to workforce and staffing. It also provides contact information for organizations who are willing to assist with the unique challenges posed by caring for individuals in long-term care settings.

North Dakota and South Dakota tools and best practices are featured, including, but not limited to the North Dakota CARE19 App and the South Dakota hydroxychloroquine statewide clinical trial to help fight COVID-19 .

“The coronavirus presents a unique challenge for nursing homes. CMS is using every tool at our disposal to protect our nation’s most vulnerable citizens and aid the facilities that care for them. This toolkit will support state, local leaders and nursing homes in identifying best practices to protect our vulnerable elderly in nursing homes” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma.

Access the CMS press release for more details, including how Great Plains Quality Innovation Network and other QIN-QIOs are providing virtual technical assistance for homes that have an opportunity for improvement based on an analysis of previous citations for infection control deficiencies