PPE Stockpile Regulations Re-Published for Public Comment
The Department of Health (DOH) has re-published for public comment the nursing home personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile regulations. The regulations require that nursing homes maintain a 60-day supply of PPE, in specified quantities, based on peak COVID prevalence rates. The regulations have been in effect since August 2021 on an emergency basis, but were inadvertently allowed to expire in September 2023 before the permanent adoption process was completed. The Department advised nursing homes, through a Dear Administrator Letter (DAL), to continue to follow the expired regulations' requirements.
At the Nov. 16th meeting of the Public Health and Health Planning Council's (PHHPC) Codes Committee, the Department reported on the expiration and re-publication and indicated that the proposed regulations were unchanged. The comment period ends on Jan. 14, 2024, and comments may be submitted here. LeadingAge NY commented in response to the prior publication. Our comments are here.
The proposed regulations are here on page 11; the DAL is here. More information is available here.
Contact: Karen Lipson, klipson@leadingageny.org