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November 12, 2020
This report from the Missouri Hospital Association is designed to help you stay abreast of recent developments related to COVID-19.
Share our online form with individuals interested in receiving this update.
Advocacy
Government Action
Road to Reopening
Testing, Reporting & Treatment
Workforce |
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The effective reproductive rate, represents the effective transmission rate for COVID-19. Ideally, the Re should be less than 1. Click the Re rate above or visit our website to view the weekly regional dashboards and learn more.
Source: Washington University Institute for Public Health
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Advocacy
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Physician Leaders Release Public Statement
Staff Contact: Mary Becker
Today, hospital physician leaders from throughout the state released a statement calling on the public and Gov. Parson to take the necessary steps to prevent the increasing and concerning spread of COVID-19. The statement urged Parson to continue to promote the message that Missourians’ help and compliance is necessary to help prevent catastrophic increases in hospital admissions.
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Government Action
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Gov. Parson Adds COVID-19 Health Care Provider Liability To The Legislative Special Session
Staff Contact: Ted Wedel
Last month, Gov. Parson called the General Assembly into special session, beginning Nov. 5, to consider appropriations necessary to respond to COVID-19. Today, the governor expanded the subject matter of that special session to include “liability protection for health care providers who provide care as necessitated by a declared state of emergency.” Another topic added to the special session today includes products liability protection for persons involved in the production and manufacture of products related to a declared state of emergency.
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CMS Provides COVID-19 Antibody Treatment Payment Details
Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that Medicare beneficiaries can receive coverage of monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 with no cost-sharing requirements during the public health emergency. The payment rate for the administration of the therapeutic is set at $309.60, which is based on one hour of infusion and post-administration monitoring in the hospital setting. Medicare will not pay for the monoclonal antibody products that providers receive for free. If the providers purchase the product, CMS will pay in the same way payment rates are set for COVID-19 vaccines. Due to the temporary 6.2% increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, Medicaid beneficiaries also are expected to be covered through the end of the quarter or until the PHE ends.
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Road to Reopening
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DESE Updates K-12 Close Contact And Quarantine Guidance
Staff Contact: Jackie Gatz or Keri Barclay
Today, Gov. Parson and the Missouri Departments of Health and Senior Services and Elementary and Secondary Education announced modifications to Missouri’s K-12 school reopening and operating guidance. Under the updated guidance, proper mask wearing may now prevent individuals from being identified as close contacts in K-12 schools that have implemented a mask mandate. This means that if both individuals at school – the person diagnosed with COVID-19 and the person exposed to the positive case – have masks on and are wearing them correctly, the individual exposed does not need to quarantine. Exposed individuals should self-monitor for symptoms and stay home at the first sign of illness. They also should continue to wear a mask at all times to further reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus. The person who tests positive for COVID-19 still is required to isolate at home.
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Testing, Reporting & Treatment
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NASEM Releases Report On COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests
Staff Contact: Jackie Gatz or Keri Barclay
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, testing has been critical to identification and care of infected persons. Even when vaccines are widely available, testing will continue to drive patient care, contact tracing and reopening efforts. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine examines the advantages, limitations and status of certain COVID-19 diagnostic tests, including reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests, point-of-care tests and next generation sequencing tests. The report also identifies situations in which split-pool testing (testing pools of samples, then splitting the pool and testing again) and wastewater surveillance (a method for testing water containing human waste to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals) can provide advantages beyond individual diagnostic testing methods.
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Workforce
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CDC Guidance Provides Strategies For Staffing Shortages
Staff Contact: Sarah Willson or Jane Drummond
Hospital staff are among those impacted by the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Missouri. Many hospitals are facing staffing shortages as a result. In some instances, hospitals may be required to consider utilizing staff who have been confirmed with or exposed to the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers guidance on mitigating staff shortages, as well as considerations that must be addressed before allowing potentially infected staff to work. The guidance is summarized in an MHA fact sheet.
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AHA Produces Podcast On Preventing Health Professional Burnout
Staff Contact: Jill Williams
David Zaas, M.D., chief clinical officer for MUSC Health in South Carolina and CEO of its Charleston Division, talks with Nancy Foster, American Hospital Association vice president for quality and patient safety, in a recent podcast about strategies and tools to address burnout as health care professionals continue to care for COVID-19 patients.
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