DOH Provides Guidance on New Nursing Home PPE Stockpile Requirements
The Department of Health (DOH) provided information about the new personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile requirements for nursing homes via webinar last week and distributed facility-specific reports on the required amounts of each type of PPE. The webinar explained the methodology for calculating the required amounts of PPE set forth in a new emergency regulation published on July 30th. The new stockpile requirements take effect on Aug. 31st.
The new methodology is based on an April 2020 Johns Hopkins model. It is intended to estimate the amount of PPE that would be needed to supply a facility for 60 days in the event of a surge in COVID-19.
Key takeaways from the webinar include the following:
- The formula requires the use of the greatest of three positivity rates. Two are facility-specific rates during peak waves of COVID-19 incidence – April 26, 2020 through May 20, 2020 and Jan. 3, 2021 through Jan. 31, 2021. These rates are calculated based on total occupancy over the applicable time period and total positive cases during that time period. The third positivity rate is the statewide average positivity rate of 20.15 percent based on the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) area rates during those peak periods. If a facility’s positivity rates are lower than the highest statewide REDC positivity rate (20.15 percent), then the REDC rate must be used.
- In addition, the formula uses touchpoints or multipliers specific to each type of PPE. These are derived from the Johns Hopkins study.
- The results of the formulas set forth in the regulation must be multiplied by 60 to calculate the 60-day stockpile requirement (although this is not consistent with the wording of the regulation).
- Face shields and goggles are not included in the new regulation. However, DOH advises that facilities should continue to stockpile these items consistent with their burn rate during the highest period of positivity.
A recording of the webinar is available here.
DOH has developed a report for each nursing home that provides its required amount of each type of PPE and the positivity rate used to calculate it. DOH noted that the amount specified in the report for gloves indicates pairs of gloves, whereas the formula in the regulation calculates single gloves.
The files have been made available through an application in the Health Commerce System (HCS) known as the HCS Distribution Management System. Only HCS users with the following roles will be able to access the nursing home’s file: Administrator, DON, and Operator. Nursing homes should make sure that all of these roles are populated in the HCS, especially if the facility has experienced recent turnover in leadership.
In order to access the HCS Distribution Management System:
- Log into the HCS.
- Go to All Applications in the upper right area of the screen.
- Go to A-Z, click on H for HCS, and go to HCS Distribution Management System or HCS DMS in the drop-down menu on the left side of the screen.
- Click on the file based on PFI number.
DOH is closely monitoring access to the PPE reports to confirm that facilities are opening them. If your facility has not yet opened its report, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. If you are experiencing difficulty opening your report or have questions concerning its contents, contact the DOH COVID-19 nursing home mailbox here.
DOH staff also reminded providers that they must continue to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all new admissions, readmissions, and hires. However, facilities are not required to conduct another cycle of whole-house solicitation and documentation each time the regulation is republished. DOH encourages facilities to continue to remind staff and residents who have declined that the vaccine is available.
Contact: Karen Lipson, klipson@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383