State health officials issue technical bulletin with suggestions for staying safe, protecting fragile persons Heat-related illnesses and safety are of top concern across Nevada right now, with scorching temperatures hitting all areas of the state. To help residents and health facilities regulated by the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC), check out the information on the technical bulletin in the PDF below. Among the recommendations are:
For more details, please read the technical bulletin below.
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Health Department course is worth 0.5 CEU A new training about proper hand hygiene is now available online from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Created by the Office of Public Health Informatics and Epidemiology (OPHIE), the Hand Hygiene Training is good for 0.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and is available at no cost. This information is very important to preventing the spread of bacteria in general—particularly in licensed health facilities, child care facilities, medical laboratories and other such licensed businesses. To supplement this information, OPHIE has provided a white paper titled “The State of Hand Hygiene 2017,” published by Elyptol, an Australian manufacturer of skin care and hygiene products. The white paper can be accessed below.
Check your state or local regulation for details Child Care Licensing staff would like to remind providers that licensed facilities must comply with specific sanitation measures for their floors, rugs, carpets and nonporous surfaces (Nevada Administrative Code 432A.077). These sanitation measures include use of a bleach solution of a specific mixture. State standards state that such items as toys, cribs, high chairs and diaper changing surfaces must be disinfected with a solution that consists of: a) One-fourth of a cup of liquid chlorine bleach added to 1 gallon of water that is prepared fresh daily and kept in a closed container; b) One tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach added to 1 quart of water that is prepared fresh daily; or c) A solution that is approved by the appropriate state or local agency and is at least as effective as the solutions described in paragraphs (a) and (b). Local jurisdictions such as the Southern Nevada Health District or Washoe County Department of Social Services might have stricter standards, so refer to your local agency’s rules if applicable. Below is a PDF with some helpful information from our colleagues at SNHD. For more information, contact your facility’s inspector or visit the Child Care Licensing web page.
New cards will no longer contain Social Security numbers, to combat fraud and illegal use CMS is readying a fraud prevention initiative that removes Social Security numbers from Medicare cards to help combat identity theft and safeguard taxpayer dollars. The new cards will use a unique, randomly-assigned number called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), to replace the Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number currently used on the Medicare card. CMS will begin mailing new cards in April 2018 and will meet the congressional deadline for replacing all Medicare cards by April 2019. On May 30, CMS kicked-off a multi-faceted outreach campaign to help providers get ready for the new MBI.
“We’re taking this step to protect our seniors from fraudulent use of Social Security numbers which can lead to identity theft and illegal use of Medicare benefits,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “We want to be sure that Medicare beneficiaries and healthcare providers know about these changes well in advance and have the information they need to make a seamless transition.” Providers and beneficiaries will both be able to use secure look up tools that will support quick access to MBIs when they need them. There will also be a 21-month transition period where providers will be able to use either the MBI or the HICN further easing the transition CMS is committed to a successful transition to the MBI for people with Medicare and for the health care provider community. CMS has a website dedicated to the Social Security Removal Initiative (SSNRI) where providers can find the latest information and sign-up for newsletters. CMS is also planning regular calls as a way to share updates and answer provider questions before and after new cards are mailed beginning in April 2018. See the full text of this excerpted CMS Press Release (issued May 30). |
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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