01/12/2021

Today's COVID-19 Report: Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Here are the latest need-to-know updates for Wednesday, January 13 regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and other topics of importance.

A REMINDER TO ALL MEMBERS

Check LeadingAge's FAQs and Resources on COVID-19 Vaccines and Issues Surrounding Vaccinations frequently. The most recent update includes Q&A on implications of mandating the vaccine for staff.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has released a preliminary toolkit that has been developed with talking points, language tips, social media language, and trusted resources to help you better communicate about the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines that have arrived in Ohio.

In Today's Report

• What has your vaccine experience entailed? LeadingAge wants to know TODAY!
• Vaccine education resources available
• Urgent action required to be included in statewide vaccine provider search
• LeadingAge 2021 Policy Action Forum: January 27 at 2:00PM
  
• 2021 Membership Renewal: Update your staff contacts
• CMS unleashes new innovative technology for Medicare beneficiaries
• LeadingAge Need to Know

What has your vaccine experience entailed? LeadingAge wants to know TODAY!

As more COVID-19 vaccines become available, LeadingAge would like to have a better understanding of members’ experiences. Please take a moment to fill out this short survey by end of the day TODAY, Wednesday, January 13.

Vaccine education resources available

Yesterday, LeadingAge Ohio members had the opportunity to hear Willow Brook Christian Communities’ team members describe their efforts that led to an 88% employee uptake of the vaccine.

Two key areas highlighted in the conversation include: 1) the value of having a trusted medical voice speak to the facts surrounding the vaccine and 2) the importance of knowing where there are leaders/managers that may be an obstacle to employees' acceptance. Willow Brook’s multiple communications (FAQ and memos) are available for all members to use (see “Employee Vaccine Information”).

The link to yesterday's all-member call with Willow Brook can be accessed here as well as in the LeadingAge Ohio COVID-19 hub. The COVID hub contains other vaccine-related resources such as:

• VIDEO: City of Columbus Dr. Roberts COVID Vaccine PSA, a brief 4-minute video that provides education for residents, family members and staff.
• FAQs and Resources on COVID-19 Vaccines and Issues Surrounding Vaccinations (Updated 1/8/21) 
• LeadingAge Ohio All Member Q & A: Member experiences from the first pharmacy partnership vaccine clinics (12/16/20)
• LeadingAge Vaccine Resources

ODH: Urgent action required to be included in statewide vaccine provider search

According to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), approximately 70 Ohio long-term care providers have registered to be a vaccine provider. ODH has asked that we remind these providers that urgent action is required to be included in a new statewide COVID-19 vaccine provider search that will be available at coronavirus.ohio.gov/vaccine beginning tomorrow, January 14.

If you have registered your facility to be a vaccine provider and you wish to provide your contact information for the new Vaccine Provider Locations directory, click here. The directory will show all enrolled COVID-19 vaccination providers currently administering vaccines to Phase 1B populations throughout Ohio. The public will be able to search for a provider by county, ZIP code, or category.

To join, complete a brief form here. This is a part of the Vaccination Provider Program (COVID-19) app.

If you have any technical issues accessing your OHID account or completing the process above, contact the Office of Management Information Systems (OMIS) Help Desk at HelpStar@odh.ohio.gov or 614-752-5190.

For other inquiries, please call the ODH Provider Call Center between 8am – 7pm Monday through Friday, and 8am – 5pm Saturday and Sunday, at 1-844-9ODHVAX (1-844-963-4829) or email COVIDVACCINE@odh.ohio.gov. You also may visit the ODH COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Information Training page for additional information and resources

LeadingAge 2021 Policy Action Forum: January 27 at 2:00PM

Members have relied on LeadingAge throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for insight and advocacy around critical federal policy issues. Join LeadingAge for a live virtual 2021 Policy Action Forum on January 27 at 2pm to look forward at how LeadingAge will continue to support aging services providers from across the continuum of care. Attendees will get an inside view of how politics influence progress, especially with a new Congress and Administration coming into power, and will hear from LeadingAge leadership about the path for advocacy and policy in the year ahead.

Speakers include health policy expert, Dr. Adaeze Enekwechi, LeadingAge’s board chair, Carol Silver Elliott, LeadingAge President Katie Smith Sloan and LeadingAge’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Ruth Katz. 

2021 Membership Renewal: Update your staff contacts

2021 membership renewal is in full swing. Invoices for 2021 dues were emailed in mid-December. A new year may mean new staff, and members should ensure LeadingAge Ohio has up-to-date staff contacts in its database to maximize your membership benefits and supports. 

If you have any questions regarding your LeadingAge Ohio membership, please call Director of Member Experience Jennifer Taylor at jtaylor@leadingageohio.org or (614) 545-9028.

CMS unleashes new innovative technology for Medicare beneficiaries

On Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that propels innovative technology so Medicare beneficiaries have access to the latest, most advanced devices. This action represents a step forward that will hopefully help smooth the Medicare coverage pathway for innovative products, resulting in faster access to new devices for America’s seniors.

The Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology (MCIT) (CMS-3372-F) final rule enables Medicare to provide national coverage of innovative technology simultaneously with FDA approval, up to a period of four years.  After the coverage period is over, CMS will reevaluate the device based on clinical and real-world evidence of improvement in health outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries to determine more permanent coverage. This four-year timeline may incentivize the manufacturers of these breakthrough devices to develop additional evidence regarding the applicability of their products to the Medicare population, so they might continue Medicare coverage beyond the initial four years.

A fact sheet on the final rule (CMS-3372-F) is available on the CMS website.

LeadingAge Need to Know: COVID-19 – January 13, 2021

LeadingAge shares the latest coronavirus news and resources with members twice each weekday. This morning's update featured a message from LeadingAge president and CEO Katie Smith Sloan.

Check out the full report here.

Questions

Please send all questions to COVID19@leadingageohio.org. Additionally, members are encouraged to visit the LeadingAge Ohio COVID-19 Working Group facebook group to pose questions to peers and share best practices. LeadingAge is continuing its daily calls for all members.  To participate in these daily online updates, members should register here.  

LeadingAge Ohio is working to ensure that the information in our daily alerts, on our website, and all coronavirus-related communications is as accurate as possible. However, LeadingAge Ohio makes no guarantees about the accuracy of the information.