Regional zone coalitions. This morning, the state held a webinar led by Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran that also featured Governor Mike DeWine, Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, and other state officials, along with hospital and long-term services and supports (LTSS) representatives. The webinar covered several topics, including the Health Care Isolation Center packet discussed in the last two COVID-19 Updates, but the centerpiece was the regional zone coalition concept. This is the state's plan for addressing COVID-19 hot spots in congregate facilities. The basic idea is that the hospitals, local health districts, and LTSS providers in the zones will band together to plan for and respond to hot spots by bringing additional resources to bear in support of the facility with the outbreak. Resources could include advice, testing, personal protective equipment, and staffing, depending on the circumstances. Please see the coalition webinar slides, protocol, and checklist for more detail on this concept, which is being rolled out now. You also should reach out to your zone leaders, local hospital(s), and local health department about participating in the coalition. A Cleveland-area OHCA member testified on the webinar that the model proved very helpful to their response to an outbreak.

Transparency: Governor and CMS weigh in. In his daily press conference, Governor DeWine announced the online list of long-term care facilities with positive COVID-19 cases will return Wednesday afternoon, but will be purged of the errors that plagued the short-lived original version. In addition, it will separate employee and resident cases and different types of facilities. It will depict both cumulative cases and current cases, updated each week. The Governor also said that COVID-19 deaths in facilities will be disclosed, probably next week, but will be aggregated by county, not by facility. 

Yesterday, as expected, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) entered the transparency fray, driven by media criticism that the federal agency did not have a count of cases in SNFs. In Quality, Safety, and Oversight (QSO) letter 20-26-NH, CMS declared that in an upcoming directive, it will require SNFs to report confirmed and suspected positive cases to the local health department and also directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via the National Health Safety Network, a secure online portal. Per AHCA, reporting through the portal is not yet available because it requires some restructuring.

The QSO also heralds an anticipated CMS rule that will require reporting to residents and families within 12 hours of an initial case, which is more stringent than Ohio's current 24-hour requirement. According to the QSO, the rule also will mandate ongoing reporting of further case developments. We understand that the rule is likely to be published later this week. 

OHCA social media guidance. In the era of COVID-19, social media take on even greater significance than before the pandemic because in-person communication is curtailed. Social media tell stories that can have profound and broad impact - for good or ill. With this in mind, OHCA compiled guidance to help members use social media effectively.