Online resources can help providers with outreach about issues such as renewal Health facilities that accept Medicaid are encouraged to help Medicaid patients/clients/residents keep their insurance by sending messages to them about important issues such as renewal letters.
Individuals or families that currently have health insurance through Nevada Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) need to be on the lookout for a renewal letter in the mail from the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services. To ensure they receive this critical piece of mail, these individuals must make sure their address, email and phone number are up to date with the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services. Members can use the UpdateMyAddress website and here is a flyer facilities can post about all the ways members can update their address. The renewal letter may request more information to determine if the individual or their family member(s) still qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. If so, a renewal form will be included. For more information, visit the Medicaid Member’s website. Additional messages and materials for providers are available in the toolkit linked here to help with ongoing outreach efforts. Members can also be directed to these resources:
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Form is to be completed for emergency admission to a mental health facility or hospital An updated Mental Health Crisis Packet (Adults) (rev. 4/26/22) is posted to the Division of Public and Behavioral Health website for easy access.
As defined in Nevada law, a "person in a mental health crisis" means any person (1) who has a mental illness; and (2) whose capacity to exercise self-control, judgment, and discretion in the conduct of a person’s affairs and social relations or to care for his or her personal needs is diminished, as a result of the mental illness, to the extent that the person presents a substantial likelihood of serious harm to himself or herself or others. It does not include any person in whom that capacity is diminished by epilepsy, intellectual disability, dementia, delirium, brief periods of intoxication caused by alcohol or drugs, or dependence upon or addiction to alcohol or drugs, unless a mental illness that can be diagnosed is also present which contributes to the diminished capacity of the person. This form is completed when a person is deemed to present a substantial likelihood of serious harm to him/herself or other if, without care or treatment, is at serious risk of attempting suicide or homicide, causing injury to him/herself or others or incurring a serious injury, illness or death from neglecting basic needs. For more information, see Nevada Revised Statutes 433A. Proposed changes now being enforced by health facilities regulators Health facilities should be aware that recently proposed regulations (LCB File No. R048-22) are now in effect and must be followed.
The regulations amend Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 449 (Medical Facilities and Other Related Entities) and Chapter 450B (Emergency Medical Services). Issues addressed by the changes include:
Delay in diagnosis can lead to incorrect medical treatment, according to recommendation from Nevada Executive Committee to Review the Death of Children The Nevada Executive Committee to Review the Death of Children (the Executive Committee) is recommending that hospitals and drug-testing facilities begin testing for fentanyl as part of their standard drug testing panels.
This recommendation was submitted by the Washoe County Child Death Review Team and adopted by the Executive Committee after discussing the recommendation, researching the current educational material and receiving feedback from subject matter experts. As fentanyl is becoming more prevalent in Nevada, the Executive Committee has seen an increase in the number of children who have suffered a near-fatal or fatal event due to accidental ingestion of this substance. There is a significant delay in determining fentanyl ingestion as a cause of unresponsiveness in children, which leads to incorrect medical treatment, inaccurate assessments and/or ongoing safety issues. Furthermore, an opportunity to provide assistance and/or resources to the individual or family may be lost as a result. By having immediate drug test results, medical providers can make more informed treatment plans and other community providers can make more informed safety decisions and accurate assessments for children and families. In addition, the Executive Committee would like to encourage all hospitals and doctors to become familiar with fentanyl educational materials so that doctors can have a conversation about the dangers of fentanyl use with their clients. Educational material can be found by visiting the following links:
State working to reduce processing time for criminal background checks Child care facility employees with a satisfactory fingerprint check who are awaiting complete background check results may work under the supervision of qualified employees in a classroom, can receive on-the-job training and may participate in and receive courses towards meeting the educational requirements of employees working in licensed child care facilities. If the employee’s background check has been initiated and proof of that initiation (receipt or copy of fingerprints to Nevada Department of Public Safety) is provided to the employer, then the employee can work in a classroom supervised by a fully qualified and background check caregiver and be counted in caregiver-to-child ratio. The employee can never be left alone with the children at any time while the background check results are pending.
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Care Licensing (CCL) unit is working diligently to process background check submissions for facility employees, thereby ensuring the safety of Nevada’s youngest citizens. Here is a little about the process:
CCL staff thank you for your understanding. We know that child care providers need trained and qualified workers in the classroom. Federal guidance for health care setting has been updated On September 23, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated their infection control guidance for the health care setting surrounding face coverings and testing.
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has drafted a technical bulletin to supply state-licensed health care facilities, including those that are CMS-certified, with access to the updated CDC and CMS guidance. Click here to visit the technical bulletin web page and scroll to the “COVID-19” section. Submit responses by Oct. 6 to help Nevada Geriatric Education Center For more than 15 years, the Nevada Geriatric Education Center (NGEC), in partnership with Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD), has offered an annual Caregiver Conference that provides education for directors and staff of homes for individual residential care, residential facilities for groups (group homes), assisted living and nursing facilities, and caregivers, nurses and social workers who work in the industry. The proposed theme for the upcoming conference is on Holistic Approaches to Caregiving.
NGEC is asking volunteers to share innovative ways they/their staff have improved the lives of residents or improved staff processes and serve as speakers to share what they implemented and the successful outcomes. NGEC is also asking everyone to submit questions to ask of Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) staff, and any topics/speakers recommendations to be included in the conference theme. Please take a few moments to answer this brief five-question survey. NGEC’s goal is to ensure the conference addresses your needs and provides topics to support your role in improving the lives of the residents that you serve. Submit your responses by Wednesday, October 6. Send questions to [email protected]. Deadline to renew is Nov. 15, so make sure your primary email address is current in the online system Starting Oct. 3, Nevada Renewal notifications will be sent to the primary email address that is listed in the “Mailing Address” section of your facility’s account in the Nevada online licensing system. Be sure to check and update (if necessary) the facility’s contact primary email address in your facility’s “Mailing Address” section of the Nevada online licensing system as soon as possible because those email addresses will be used by the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) to send renewal notifications, reminders and other information. All of Nevada’s health facility licensing is done online, and the system can be accessed easily by typing myhealthfacilitylicense.nv.gov into your web browser address bar.
Renewal applications must be submitted on or before Nov. 15, 2022. Below are some helpful hints for renewing your health facility license:
Officials continue to recommend screening of patients and isolation of cases On August 1, 2022, a memorandum was released alerting staff within health care facilities, laboratory-based public health professionals and health care providers of the continued increase in Candida auris (C. auris) cases observed in Southern Nevada, as well as the recommendation to isolate and screen patients. As of August 31, 2022, there are 484 cases (192 clinical and 292 colonization) in 26 facilities (19 hospitals and 7 skilled nursing facilities) in Southern Nevada.
The Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) continues to recommend that all patients from this area be put on isolation precautions and screened for C. auris based on the facility’s resources and staffing. Please note that such patients may also be coinfected with other multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Screening for carbapenem-resistant and carbapenem-producing organisms in addition to C. auris can assist with the containment of these organisms. Below is a list of facilities in Southern Nevada that identified C. auris patients through point prevalence screening, clinical testing or have admitted known C. auris patients. If a facility is not listed, it means that C. auris patients were not identified in that facility at the time this document was published. Facilities should ensure that communication is clear when discharging or admitting known C. auris patients or patients positive with other MDROs. An interfacility transfer form can assist in communicating this information to case managers and infection preventionists. Resources for C. auris and the interfacility transfer form can be accessed under the "Candida auris" section of the HAI web page linked here. For additional questions, concerns and assistance with accessing screening materials through the Nevada State Public Health Lab, contact the Healthcare Associated Infection Program at [email protected]. Facilities in Southern Nevada that identified C. auris patients
Technical bulletin provides details on updated CDC guidance for general public Note: Health care professionals working in licensed health care facilities should continue to use Ending Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19. Also, CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels recommendations do not apply in health care settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes. Instead, health care settings should continue to use community transmission rates and continue to follow CDC’s Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.
On August 11, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their isolation guidance for members of the general public with COVID-19. Individuals with COVID-19 can spread the virus to others but there are precautions that COVID-positive individuals can take to prevent spreading it to others: isolation, masking and avoiding contact with people who are at high risk of getting very sick. Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-19. These recommendations do not change based on COVID-19 Community Levels. See the additional information linked here about treatments that may be available to COVID-positive individuals. The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has drafted a technical bulletin, titled “Updated Guidance: Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19,” with more details, including details on isolation duration for individuals with and without symptoms, masking and reporting to local health authorities. Visit the technical bulletins web page and see the “COVID-19” section. For more information, guidance and resources about the COVID-19 response in Nevada, visit https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/. |
AuthorThe Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) licenses medical and other health facilities, child care facilities and personnel, and medical laboratories and personnel in Nevada. HCQC also conducts compliance surveys and takes complaints. Archives
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