- Health Information on Youtube - January 17, 2022
- Nevada: Nursing Home Tool Kit - November 3, 2020
- New Jersey: Nursing Home Tool Kit - November 1, 2020
The status of Alabama’s policies on Cleaning and Disinfection are as follows:
- The state of Alabama has acquired a Battelle Critical Care Decontamination Systems (CCDS)™ unit. This CCDS unit is currently located in Birmingham, where all equipment can be sterilized for future usage. Supervisors of the unit have stated that hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers are welcome to send their N95 masks for decontamination, free of charge: including shipping. The CCDS unit can decontaminate approximately 80,000 masks per day. (Link to decontamination unit: https://www.alaha.org/initiating-battelle-n95-decontamination)
- Alliant Quality has developed the FROG (Friction Rubs Out Germs) Resource database, including poster, to promote the proper hand-washing methods among the population. The Aliceville Manor Nursing Home in Aliceville, Alabama has developed a number of additional FROG posters to display throughout their facility. As an added bonus, they’ve implemented a system for their staff that rewards them with treats when they are seen washing their hands correctly. (Link to poster: https://www.alliantquality.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FROG-poster_12SOW-AHSQINQIO-TO1NH-20-171_508.pdf)
- The federal government has deployed, trained, and equipped teams of the National Guard to begin disinfecting long-term care facilities that have COVID19-positive residents. These teams will also train staff on the techniques of donning and doffing personal protective equipment, as well as sterilize the LTC facilities that have COVID19-positive residents and/or employees.
Notable Groups: Alliant Quality, Office of the Governor Kay Ivey, Alabama Hospital Association, Alabama Department of Public Health
Alabama’s testing policies are described below:
- The Alabama Nursing Home Association Education Foundation has begun directing the payment for the statewide nursing home COVID-19 testing strategy. This strategy was announced earlier in the year by Governor Kay Ivey. (links to the two documents: “http://www.anha.org/uploads/Testing-plan.pdf” and “http://www.anha.org/uploads/Testing-reimbursement.pdf“)
- A COVID-19 task-force originating in Alabama is currently up-keeping a site that provides a wide variety of helpful COVID-19 information. Within the site is documentation of testing sites, news, and resources. The site’s intended purpose is connecting all interested people and groups in a collective community. (Link to mentioned site: https://covid19.alabama.gov)
- The HHS is currently distributing care-testing instruments to many of Alabama’s nursing homes using waiting lists emphasizing on priority of need. The priority list for long-term care facilities is controlled by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through data sources that consider epidemiological hot spots, availability of testing, and COVID-19 rates within nursing homes. (Document relevant: https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-COVID-19-Nursing-Home/Nursing-HomeData-Point-of-Care-Device-Allocation/jbvf-tb74)
Notable Groups: Alabama Nursing Home Association Education Foundation, Office of the Governor Kay Ivey, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
The status of Alabama’s workforce and staffing are explained beneath:
- The state of Alabama has provided a guide for online personal protective equipment (PPE), employment, and material resources. A relevant article for all health care providers to find available supplies, disinfectants, PPE, employer/employee guidance, and more external pertinent links. (Document relevant: https://tuscaloosachamber.com/business-toolkit)
Notable Groups: Office of the Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Business Council of Alabama, Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, AlabamaWorks!, The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, Southeast AlabamaWorks!, West AlabamaWorks!
The status of Alabama’s nursing home (NH) communications during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The governing body of Alabama has ratified some portions of the “Safer at Home Order,” effective May 22, 2020 through July 3, 2020. The amendments of the law is the second phase of a multi-phase, statewide plan to lessen the severity of the spread of COVID-19 in Alabama. The updates will apply to the reopening of entertainment venues, athletic activities, educational institutions, child care facilities, and summer camps. Hospitals and long term care facilities are not affected by this change and are instructed to continue prohibiting visitors and nonessential health care personnel. (Linked document, See #16 on the linked document regarding nursing home restrictions on visitation: https://altogetheralabama.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Safer-at-Home-Order-FINAL5.21.2020.pdf)
Notable Groups: Office of the Governor Kay Ivey
Alabama’s ongoing actions to improve access to personal protective equipment (PPE).
- The state has created an online personal protective equipment (PPE), employment, and material resource guide for relevant healthcare professionals to enable them to find available supplies, disinfectants, PPE, employer/employee guidance, and more external pertinent links. (Relevant document: https://tuscaloosachamber.com/business-toolkit)
Notable Groups: Office of the Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Business Council of Alabama, Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, AlabamaWorks!, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, Southeast AlabamaWorks!, West AlabamaWorks!
Alabama’s current resources during the Covid-19 pandemic:
- Host COVID-19 office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays through August 27, 2020 for facilities to discuss and share the current best COVID-19 safety and sanitation practices. These partners are also planning on hosting a monthly Health care acquired-infection (HAI) Huddle webinar on the last Friday of each month to provide guidance on some of the common themes that are brought forth during the calls received during office hours. Information related to these calls will be included in the ANHA newsletter.
- Dr. Rodney Tucker, Director for the Center for Palliative and Supportive Care at the University of Alabama Birmingham, recorded a short video on learning with Alliant Quality in regards to the tool “Meet My Loved One.” The Tool is designed for family members to be able to share small details about their loved one to help bedside care teams deliver personal, compassionate care during COVID-19 treatment. (Relevant links: “https://youtu.be/UKczhKqFhDs” and “https://www.alliantquality.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/07/AQ_PatientCenteredCareDuringPandemic_MeetMyLovedOne_12SOW-AHSQIN-QIO-TO1CC-20-252_508-2.pdf“)
- On August 7, 2020, Governor Kay Ivey announced a $50 million grant program to support nursing homes that are responding to or mitigating the COVID-19 public health emergency. The State of Alabama Department of Finance signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Alabama Nursing Home Association (ANHA) Education Foundation to administer the grant program. The ANHA Education Foundation will provide more details at a later date. (Relevant link: https://governor.alabama.gov/newsroom/2020/08/governor-ivey-announces-100-million-ofcares-act-funding-to-nursing-homes-and-hospitals/)
- An Alabama state-based COVID-19 task-force is currently maintaining a website that provides a wide variety of helpful COVID-19 information, including testing sites, news, and resources. The website is intended to also help connect businesses, nonprofit organizations, and people that need help with the right program partners as well as connecting program partners with people and resources to help those most in need. (Relevant links: https://covid19.alabama.gov)
- The state of Alabama has put together an online personal protective equipment (PPE), employment, and material resource guide for providers to find available supplies, disinfectants, PPE, employer/employee guidance, and more important and relevant external links (Relevant link: https://tuscaloosachamber.com/business-toolkit)
Notable Groups: Alabama Nursing Home Association (ANHA), Alabama Department of Health (ADPH), Alliant Health Solutions, Alliant Quality QIN-QIO, Dr. Rodney Tucker, Director for the Center for Palliative and Supportive Care at the University of Alabama Birmingham, Office of the Governor Kay Ivey, Office of the Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Business Council of Alabama, Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, AlabamaWorks!, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, Southeast AlabamaWorks!, West AlabamaWorks!
Alabama’s notable organizations that are confirmed nursing home assistance for the pandemic.
- The Alabama National Guard, under the leadership of Governor Kay Ivey, will assist designated nursing homes in the state of Alabama in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. National Guard teams that are specially trained and equipped will sanitize and disinfect nursing homes that have COVID-19 positive residents and/or employees and will train staff on the techniques of donning and doffing personal protective equipment.
Notable Groups: Alabama National Guard
