Month: April 2020

COVID-19 Message to Rural Communities

In the past few weeks, Missouri has seen an increasing spread of COVID-19 from population centers to more rural communities. This is concerning as rural areas tend to have more limited access to health care and populations that are older and have more chronic health conditions. During this time, we all have a role in protecting our communities and limiting the spread of this disease.  Whether you have COVID 19, are a caregiver of an individual with COVID-19 , or just going out in public places, there are actions that you should be taking.

When leaving the home:

  • Limit the number of people leaving the house.
    • Identify only one person that leaves to get groceries and other essential products.
  • Practice Social Distancing.
    • Pay special attention when standing in line to receive services and avoid large groups.
  • Face coverings can help protect you and others.
    • If used, the face covering should be used properly.
  • Stop hand shaking – practice good hygiene.
    • Use other noncontact methods of greeting.
  • Increase habits and reminders to avoid touching your face and cover coughs and sneezes.
  • Additional recommendations when leaving your home and prevention tips can be found at: https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/pdf/individuals-leaving-home.pdf and Households Living in Close Quarters

An individual with COVID-19 should:

  • Limit Contact with individuals.
    • Isolate himself or herself to a certain area or room of house.
    • Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
  • Avoid sharing personal items, such as dishes, towels, or bedding.
  • Eat in a separate room, if possible.
  • Call ahead before visiting a medical provider.
  • Wear a facemask when around other people or visiting healthcare facility.

A caregiver of an individual with COVID 19 should:

  • Help the individual follow their healthcare provider’s instructions and monitor symptoms.
  • Separate himself or herself from the individual whenever possible.
  • Sleep in a separate bedroom and avoid sharing personal items, if possible.
  • Dispose of items properly.
    • Place all used gloves, masks, and any personal protective equipment, as well as any used cleaning materials, into a lined container before disposal.
  • Clean and disinfect household.
    • All “high touch” surfaces such should be cleaned and disinfected daily.
    • If sharing a bathroom: The person who is sick should clean and then disinfect after each use. If this is not possible, the caregiver and household member should wait as long as possible before entering the bathroom, clean, and disinfect the bathroom before use.
    • Increase ventilation by opening windows.
  • Additional recommendations and tips can be found at: Caring for Someone Sick at Home (or Other Non-healthcare Settings)

 

We must work together to protect our families, our friends and our communities from the spread of COVID-19.

Senate passes $484 billion coronavirus relief package

On April 21, the U.S. Senate passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, also known as the “COVID-19 3.5” relief package. The $484 billion package, which was originally designed to only be a $250 billion stopgap measure, is the second largest of the four coronavirus response bills Congress has passed so far.

Now that the package has passed the Senate, the House will vote on the bill this coming Thursday, April 23, where it is expected to pass.

The package includes additional funding to support small businesses, hospitals and enhance COVID-19 testing.

  • New funding for small businesses. $320 billion to replenish the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a loan initiative aimed at helping small businesses weather the economic fallout from the COVID-19 response. Lawmakers had allocated $349 billion to PPP as part of the $2 trillion CARES Act, but the program ran out of money less than 3 weeks after it was authorized. Of this amount, $60 billion would be set aside for smaller lending institutions such as credit unions and other community-based real financial institutions, with the goal of reaching underbanked businesses.

    The package would also appropriate an additional $50 billion for SBA’s Disaster Loans Program Account and $10 billion for Emergency Economic Injury Disaster grants, while increasing the authorization level for the emergency economic grants from $10 billion to $20 billion. SBA would also receive more than $2 billion to cover salaries and expenses for federal employees.

  • More support for hospitals and healthcare providers. The interim relief package would provide an additional $75 billion to support local hospitals and health care providers by providing reimbursements for COVID-19 related expenses, lost revenue and public health services for uninsured Americans who have been infected by COVID-19. This new wave of funding is in addition to the $100 billion allocated under the CARES Act and will be distributed under the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund,

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is in the process of developing formulas for additional targeted distributions to health care entities hit hard by the COVID-19  outbreak, namely rural providers, and important for counties – providers who predominately serve the Medicaid population.

  • New funding for target COVID-19 testing in rural areas and for the uninsured. The interim package would provide $25 billion for “necessary expenses to research, develop, validate, manufacture, purchase, administer and expand capacity for COVID–19 tests” to help effectively monitor and suppress the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the total amount allocated, the package would provide:
    • $11 billion in direct funding for states, localities and territories to scale up the administration’s COVID-19 testing, laboratory capacity, contact tracing and support employer testing
    • $225 million in direct funds to rural health clinics through grants and other mechanisms
    • Up to $1 billion to cover the cost of testing for the uninsured

    Under this provision, the legislation also directs that these funds be allocated within 30 days of the bill’s enactment, and that $2 billion of the $11 billion for state and local funding be distributed using the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 grant formula under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of the remaining funds, $4.25 billion would be distributed using a formula based on COVID-19 cases and $750 million would be provided directly to tribes and tribal organizations.

    Funding for increased testing capacity is critical during this time, and is especially pertinent for rural counties, as hospital systems in these areas have experienced increased financial strain due to loss revenue streams from non-COVID-19 related care.

  • Mandates states and localities to report how resources will be used for testing and COVID-19 community mitigation policies. Alongside increased funding for testing, the legislation would also require that state and localities that receive funds provide a plan for COVID-19 testing to the HHS Secretary no later than 30 days following the bill’s enactment. Specifically, the plan must outline how states and localities will utilize these funds for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year related to – the number of tests needed on a monthly basis; a monthly estimate of laboratory and testing capacity including related workforce, equipment and supplies, and available tests; and a description of how you will use resources for testing and community mitigation efforts.

https://www.naco.org/blog/senate-passes-484-billion-coronavirus-relief-package

Webinar: What Community Health Workers (CHW) need to know about COVID-19 and their roles during emergency response efforts

Date: April 28, 2020

Time: 3:00 PM CST

Register for free HERE.

Join our webinar as we discuss what CHWs need to know about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and their roles during emergency response efforts.
In addition, current myths and rumors about COVID-19 will be dispelled and cultural aspects for prevention and treatment of the virus in the community will be considered.
As agents of change in communities, CHWs address the social and economic factors that shape the spread of the disease, can determine who are the people most affected, and who needs support or information timely.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Provide an overview of COVID-19.
2. Educate community health workers (CHWs) on what they can do to prevent COVID-19 in their communities.
3. Discuss the evidence-based COVID-19 prevention recommendations on how individuals can help themselves, their families and communities in preventing or slowing the spread of COVID-19.
4. Share messages, tools and other bilingual resources that CHWs may use to inform at-risk groups, including older adults and people with underlying conditions.
5. Discuss the experiences of CHWs and the changing roles they face in the COVID-19 pandemic.

This webinar is produced in collaboration with the National Association of Community Health Workers, the CHWs Work Group at CDC, and CDC’s News Media Branch.

Webinar: Transition to Telehealth During COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities

Date: April 23, 2020

Time: 2:00 PM CST

The National Rural Health Association is hosting a webinar, “Transition to Telehealth During COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities,” at 2 p.m. CT Thursday, April 23, to review the rapid transformation of telehealth in rural and critical access health care during the COVID-19 crisis. Presenters will discuss challenges faced and how measures being taken now might inform the future. The discussion will feature input from top rural health care leaders from across the country.