Changes to NAC 441A add new requirements for various diseases. On Dec. 10, 2023, the Nevada Legislative Commission approved amendments to Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 441A that updated the conditions which are mandated to be reported in Nevada. These amendments were made to better align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nationally notifiable conditions. NAC 441A has been amended to prescribe requirements governing the investigation of and response to cases of newly reportable conditions. Official codification of NAC 441A is pending, however the draft approved amendments can be found online here.
State health officials have drafted a technical bulletin that lists the conditions that were added or amended in the definition of communicable disease and describes regulation updates concerning Babesiosis, COVID-19, Cyclosporiasis, mpox (monkeypox), and Haemophilus influenzae. For full details, see the “General Topics” section of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health Technical Bulletins web page.
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Report provides information on barriers, sample policies Transgender people face many barriers to health care because of historic bias and discrimination. To support this population in Nevada, health facilities are encouraged to read the “Transgender Affirming Hospital Policies” report issued by Lambda Legal, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Hogan Lovells and New York City Bar. This report (available for download at the bottom of this blog post) provides sample policies addressing issues such as nondiscrimination, patients’ bill of rights, access to hormone therapy, protocols for staff interaction with transgender patients, room assignments and more. According to the report, in a survey of more than 6,000 transgender Americans, 19% of the respondents reported being refused health care due to their transgender or gender-nonconforming status. In addition, 28% had postponed necessary health care when sick or injured and 33% had delayed or had not sought preventive care because of experiences of health care discrimination based on their transgender status. “Adopting transgender-inclusive health care practices can reduce the costs associated with complications that arise when transgender patients are denied or delay medical treatment due to discrimination,” the report states. Nevada law addresses specific patient rights, including the right to “receive considerate and respectful care.” Although the attached report addresses hospitals, Nevada law applies to all health facilities in the state that are licensed and inspected by the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC). The report is available below in PDF. Also below is a presentation called, “Meeting the Health Care Needs of Transgender People,” from the Nevada organization Transgender Allies Group.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) courses help providers understand Survey & Certification process The Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) has added the Federal Health Facility Survey Process Training for Providers course catalog to its Training and Education web page for Nevada health facility licensees.
These online trainings by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) aim to help providers understand the purpose and process of Survey and Certification (S&C), which is a collaborative effort between CMS and providers to ensure Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries are receiving quality health care. HCQC also offers several other training and education courses on this web page for Nevada health facilities. For more information, send an email to [email protected]. Get help meeting the Nov. 15 deadline to avoid a penalty License renewal season is here, and the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) has updated its Health Facility Renewal info/help web page to guide you through the process. The page also can be accessed from the Division of Public and Behavioral Health home page at http://dpbh.nv.gov/ by clicking on the graphic illustrated below. Facility staff are encouraged to reference this page frequently to answer any questions you have regarding this process. This page contains information about which facilities must renew, an application checklist, fee schedule and a video tutorial that will guide you through the Online Licensing System, which now can be accessed by typing myhealthfacilitylicense.nv.gov into your web browser address bar. General HCQC information is available through the Health Facilities home page.
The renewal deadline is Nov. 15, with licenses expiring Dec. 31. Renewal applications submitted after Nov. 15 will have to pay the regular renewal fee plus an additional 50 percent of that fee. Information will help many Nevada health facilities comply with law, regulation regarding tuberculosis testing An online training course in tuberculosis (TB) screening is now available to help Nevada health facilities understand the rules for screening employees as required for state licensure. TB screening compliance is a problem area for many health facilities, and this video aims to clarify the testing process and state rules that help businesses by protecting patients while avoiding financial penalties.
This training involves watching a 20-minute video and passing a short quiz. Upon successful completion of the quiz, the designated facility employee (e.g., infection control supervisor or human resources compliance officer) can download or print a certificate of completion and submit it to the Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) as part of the licensing packet through the Online Licensing System or as requested by an inspector. To access the course, visit the HCQC Training and Education web page. Access to the TB Screening and other online courses offered by HCQC requires a free log-in to the NEATS system (instructions are on the aforementioned Training and Education web page). See the screenshot below, and you can also email your licensing questions to [email protected]. Board of Medical Examiners to consider revision based on new law about abuse and misuse of controlled substance A change to Nevada regulations regarding continuing medical education for physicians and physician assistants will be the subject of a public hearing held via video-conference in Reno and Las Vegas on Oct. 12, 2017. Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed regulation can do so at the hearing, or send the comments, data, views or argument to the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, 1105 Terminal Way, Suite 301, Reno, NV 89502. For additional information, see the attached Notice of Hearing (R163-16) or contact the Board of Medical Examiners.
Find out how today’s use of antibiotics will affect health care treatment and outcomes tomorrow Learn about the “Evolution of Antibiotics” and how responsible distribution today will affect future peoples at the annual Nevada Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Collaborative on Aug. 15, 2017. This day-long educational event will be held at locations in Reno and Las Vegas, and features eight sessions on topics ranging from antibiotic length of use and two-step C. diff testing, to managing sepsis in skilled nursing facilities and outpatient stewardship. Eight hours of continuing education credit for nursing are available for attendees. This event is co-sponsored by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health and HealthInsight Nevada. Click here for tickets, and for additional information, check out the event flier below.
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.
Information from Food and Drug Administration Abbott has initiated a voluntary recall of specific lots of three catheters: NC Trek RX Coronary Dilatation Catheter, NC Traveler Coronary Dilatation Catheter, and NC Tenku RX PTCA Balloon Catheter.
For detailed information pertaining to this Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts message, please click here. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are offering trainings aimed at helping health facilities prevent and combat infections. CME from CDC: What You Need to Know About Infection Control Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die as a direct result of these infections. It’s critical that all healthcare workers understand proper infection control procedures and use them every day. The CDC and Medscape are launching a series of six CME/CE activities addressing the key issues surrounding infection prevention in health care facilities. The series includes:
These CME-/CE- certified activities are available by clicking here. You must be a registered Medscape member to access these CME/CE activities, and registration is free. The first activity, Risk Recognition in Healthcare Settings is available now. A new activity will be added each month. Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control for Healthcare Facilities course in Reno on May 26, Henderson in December OSHA will hold a training on bloodborne pathogen exposure control for health care facilities on May 26 in Reno and later in the year on Dec. 15 in Henderson. The course will cover such topics as:
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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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