COVID-19 Information Hub

CDC Resources

CDC Situation Summary 
This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated information as it becomes available, in addition to updated guidance. Updated daily.

CDC Information for Healthcare Professionals 
Includes information and guidance for persons under investigation (PUI), clinical care, infection control, protective equipment, and home care guidance. 

Nursing Home COVID-19 Data Dashboard - updated 1/20/21

• Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Patients with COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings (Interim Guidance) - updated 7/17/20
• Criteria for Return to Work for Healthcare Personnel (Interim Guidance) - updated 7/17/20
• Framework for Healthcare Systems Providing Non-COVID-19 Clinical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic - 5/12/20
• What Healthcare Personnel Should Know
• Symptom-Based Strategy to Discontinue Isolation for Persons with COVID-19 - updated 5/3/20
• Ten Clinical Tips on COVID-19 for Healthcare Providers Involved in Patient Care - 4/30/20
• Guidance for U.S. Healthcare Facilities about COVID-19 
• PPE Usage When Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Suspected COVID - 4/8/20
• Healthcare Infection Control Guidance - updated 4/13/20
• Clinical Care Guidance for Healthcare Professionals - updated 5/3/20
  • Clinical Questions about COVID-19: FAQ - updated 5/12/20
• Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure Guidance 
• Home Care Guidance 
• Guidance and Resources on Healthcare Supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • PPE Burn Rate Calculator - Download - Mobile App Version Now Available!
  • Checklist for Healthcare Facilities
  • Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of PPE - updated 4/3/20
  • FAQ about PPE

CDC Information and Resources for Hemodialysis Facilities and Patients 

• 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program: New COVID-19 Module - ASN, CDC 
• Special Considerations for Patients on Home Dialysis - 5/13/20
• Guidance for Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities - Reviewed 4/21/20
• Screening Dialysis Patients for COVID-19 - Reviewed 4/14/20
• Dialysis in Acute Care Settings Web Page - Reviewed 4/17/20
• Considerations for Patients on Home Dialysis Web Page - Reviewed 4/16/20
• COVID-19 Outpatient Dialysis Cleaning and Disinfection Web Page - Reviewed 4/21/20
• For Facilities 
  • Presentation for Facilities - Preparing Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities for COVID-19 - 4/13/20
  • Fact Sheet - How Our Facility is Keeping Patients Safe from COVID-19 - 4/20/20
  • Fact Sheet for Patients - Keeping Patients on Dialysis Safe - 4/20/20
  • COVID-19 Outpatient Dialysis Facility Preparedness Assessment Tool - 3/24/20

CDC Information for Healthcare Facilities 
Resources for clinics and healthcare facilities to prepare and respond to the community spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 

• Framework for Healthcare Systems Providing Non-COVID-19 Clinical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic - 5/12/20
• Interim Guidance for Healthcare Facilities 
• Guidance for Long-term Care Facilities, Nursing Homes
  • Key Strategies to Prepare for COVID-19 in Long-term Care Facilities 
• Return-to-Work Criteria for Healthcare Workers - Updated 4/30/20

Additional CDC Resource Links

• Preparing for Hurricanes During the COVID-19 Pandemic - 5/13/20
• Guidance on Discontinuation of Isolation for Persons with COVID-19 Not in Healthcare Settings - 5/3/20
• Caring for Someone at Home - updated 4/15/20
• Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID-19 - updated 3/21/20
• FAQ for Healthcare Professionals - updated 3/17/20
• Interim Guidance - Discontinuation of Home Isolation for Persons with COVID-19 - 3/16/20
• Communication Resources for Print (various languages available)
• Healthcare Providers Preparedness Checklist for COVID-19
• COVID-19 Hospital Preparedness Tool 

CMS Resources

CMS Current Emergencies Website 
Visit this page to keep up with the important work CMS is doing in response to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

• Recommendations for Re-opening Facilities to Provide Non-emergent Non-COVID19 Healthcare: Phase 1 - 4/19/20
  

CMS - Re-Opening Healthcare Facilities 

• Guidance for Re-Opening Healthcare Facilities - 6/9/20
• Re-Opening America Guide for Patients - 6/9/20

CMS - Coronavirus Waivers & Flexibilities 

• Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers [Page 23-26 includes ESRD info] - Revised 12/1/20
• Additional Info on Waivers and Rule Changes
• Waivers and Guidance, and the Interim Final Rule - Updated 4/30/20
• All Waivers and Flexibilities - Updated 4/30/20
• Section 1135 Waiver Checklist - 3/22/20
• Section 1135 Waivers
• Section 1115(a) Waivers
• 1915(c) Waiver Appendix K Amendments
• Medicaid State Plan Amendments 
• Approved States' Other Coronavirus 1135 Waivers 
• CHIP State Plan Amendments
• End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facilities (PDF) - 3/28/20

CMS Relief for Quality Reporting Programs - CROWNWeb and QIP info included

• Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System Updates - FAQ - 4/24/20
• Announcement - 3/22/20
• Provider Enrollment Relief FAQ - 3/23/20
• The NRAA government affairs team has outlined details included in reference to CROWNWeb and QIP reporting:
  • For 2019, deadlines for October 1, 2019 -December 31, 2019 (Q4) data submissions are optional. If Q4 data is submitted, it will be used to calculate payment (where appropriate). If Q4 data is not able to be submitted, then 2019 performance will be calculated based on data from January 1, 2019 - September 30, 2019 (Q1 - Q3) and available data.
  • For 2020, CMS will not count data from January 1, 2020 through January 30, 2020 (Q1 - Q2) for performance or payment programs. Therefore, facilities do NOT need to submit data for this time period.

CMS New Targeted Plan for Healthcare Facility Inspections - 3/23/20

• Announcement
• Guidance - Prioritization of Survey Activities
• Survey Prioritization Fact Sheet 
• Seema Verma's Remarks: Updates on Healthcare Facility Inspections

CMS Clinical and Technical Guidance for Health Care Facilities

• Quality Payment Program - COVID-19 Response Fact Sheet - 4/29/20
• Updated Guidance for Infection Control in Home Health Agencies - Updated 4/24/20
• Long-Term Care Facilities 
  • Toolkit on State Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 Prevalence in Nursing Homes -  5/14/20
  • Long-Term Care Facility Transfer Scenarios - 4/13/20
  • Long-Term Care Facility Guidance - 4/2/20
  • Guidance for Nursing Homes - revised 3/13/20
  • Notification of Confirmed COVID-19 Among Residents and Staff in Nursing Homes - Updated 5/6/20
• Guidance for Dialysis Facilities - Revised 3/30/20
• Emergency Declaration Health Care Providers Fact Sheet - 3/13/20
• Information for Healthcare Facilities Concerning COVID-19 - 2/6/20
• Using Personal Protective Equipment (Videos) 
• COVID-19 Surge Tool - Updated 4/21/20

Medicare and Other Coverage Guidance

• [VIDEO] Five Things About Nursing Homes During COVID-19 - 7/9/20
• Fact Sheet for State and Local Governments - CMS Programs & Payment for Care in Hospital Alternate Care Sites  - 5/26/20
• CMS Reevaluates Accelerated Payment Program and Suspends Advance Payment Program - 4/26/20
  • Updated Fact Sheet Accelerated and Advance Payments - 4/26/20
• FAQ on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing - Updated 4/29/20
• Workforce Virtual Toolkit: Resources for Healthcare Decision-Makers Responding to COVID-19 Workforce Concerns - 4/22/20
• Accelerated Payment Program - Updated Fact Sheet  - Revised 4/26/20
• FAQs on Catastrophic Plan Coverage and COVID-19 - 3/18/20
  
• Medicare Administrative Contractor COVID-19 Test Pricing - 3/12/20

Medicaid and Childrens' Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Resources

• State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit (COVID-19 Version) - 4/23/20
• COVID-19 FAQ on Implementation of Section 6008 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and CARES Act - 4/13/20
• FAQ for State Medicaid and CHIP - Updated 5/5/20
• CMS HPMS Memo to All Medicare Advantage Organizations, Part D Sponsors, and Medicare-Medicaid Plans; Information Related to COVID-19 - 3/10/20
• Fact Sheet: Coverage and Benefits Related to Medicaid and CHIP - 3/5/20
• Inventory of Medicaid and CHIP Flexibilities and Authorities in the Event of a Disaster 

CMS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Partner Toolkit - updated 3/19/20
CMS has developed this toolkit to help you stay informed on CMS and HHS materials available on the COVID-19. Please share these materials, bookmark the page, and check back often for the most up-to-date information. 

CMS Podcasts and Transcripts 
Page to listen to the audio files and read transcripts for the COVID-19 Stakeholder calls.

For CMS Issued Materials on Medicare Telehealth - Click Here 

Telehealth Guidance

As you know, telemedicine and virtual care has become a key resource in the COVID-19 strategy. CMS and private payers have taken significant steps in recent days to provide coverage, privacy and payment guidance on the use of telemedicine (including phone calls).  The NRAA team has assembled the following list of resources:

Press Releases

• Trump Administration Releases COVID-19 Telehealth Toolkit to Accelerate State Use of Telehealth in Medicaid and CHIP - 4/25/20
• President Trump Expands Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries During COVID-19 Outbreak - 3/17/20 

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) released an Express message that includes: 

• Use of Telemedicine in Alternate Care Sites Webinar Recording - 7/28/20
• COVID-19 and Clinical Experiences from the Field - 7/17/20
• COVID-19 Hospital Resources Compilation 
• COVID-19 and Urgent Care Centers: Lessons Learned for the Future 

CMS Issued Materials on Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth:

• State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit (COVID-19 Version) - 4/23/20

CMS Issued Materials on Medicare Telehealth: 

• Covered Telehealth Services for PHE for the COVID-19 Pandemic [ZIP] - Updated 4/30/20
• Guidance on Telehealth and HHS-Operated Rick Adjustment for Individual and Small Group Health Insurance Health Plans FAQ - 4/30/20
• [Video] Medicare Coverage and Payment of Virtual Services - 4/3/20
• Long-Term Care Nursing Homes Telehealth Tool Kit - 3/27/20
• ESRD Provider Telehealth Toolkit - 3/18/20
• CMS Health Care Provider Fact Sheet - updated 3/17/20
• CMS FAQs - updated 3/17/20
• Summary of Medicare Telemedicine Services Chart 
• Medicaid Telehealth Guidance -  State Plan Fee-for-Service Payments for Services Delivered via Telehealth  - issued 3/17/20

HIPAA:  Effective immediately, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will exercise enforcement discretion and waive penalties for HIPAA violations against health care providers that serve patients in good faith through everyday communications technologies, such as FaceTime or Skype, during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency. 

• Notice of Enforcement Discretion of Telehealth - ORC, issued 3/19/20
• FAQs on HIPAA and Telehealth - ORC, updated 3/20/20
• COVID-19 & HIPAA Bulletin: Limited Waiver of HIPAA Sanctions and Penalties - HHS, 3/ 2020

Telehealth Legal Resources 

• HHS Office of Inspector General Policy Statement - 3/17/2020
• HHS Office of Inspector General Fact Sheet - 3/17/2020
• AMA Chart of State Telehealth Laws

Practice Guidelines & Additional Telehealth Resources

• [VIDEO] Telemedicine Utilization in the COVID-19 Era: What Patients Should Know - AAKP
• Four Tips for Integrating Telehealth Into Nephrology Practices - ESRD NCC, 6/25/20
• Telemedicine Tip Sheet for Patients - Midwest Kidney Network
• RPA Guidance on Billing and Coding for Remote Nephrology Services - RPA, 3/25/20
• New York State COVID-19 Telehealth Screening Recommendations developed by Drs. Daniel Choi, Carlos Zapata, Saya Nagori, Dhaval Bhanusali, Michelle Lin
• AMA Quick Guide to Telemedicine in Practice
• AMA Guidance for Ethical Practice in Telemedicine
• American Telemedicine Association Practice Guidelines
• American Health Information Management Association Telemedicine Toolkit

Other Resources

Agency Updates 

• WHO Situation Reports 
• [Audio] WHO Press Briefings 
• FDA Coronavirus Disease COVID-19 
• [Map] Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE

CARES Act 
Attestation Portal is Open - 4/16/20 

• Providers who have been allocated a payment from the initial $30 billion general distribution must sign an attestation confirming receipt of the funds. 

HHS Announces Immediate Infusion of $30 Billion into Healthcare System - 4/9/20

Other Resources

• The COVID-19 Toolkit for Nephrology Clinicians: Preparing for a Surge - ASN - 7/22/20

• Long Term Catheters Post-COVID: New Strategies and Ideas - Midwest Kidney Network - 5/2020
• Expert U.S. Panel Develops NIH Treatment Guidelines for COVID-19 - 4/23/20 (on-going updates)
• Vidafuel COVID-19 Patient Support Program, providing 600 patients with free product  - 4/22/20
• Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses - ANNA
• Nephrology Nurses Hot Spots Across America- Surge Support Tool - Tool identifies areas in need of nephrology nurses and enables organizations to submit and share information on current needs - ANNA
• Unmasking COVID-19 Podcast: Episode One Immunocompromised Patients - Healio Infections Disease News 
• COVID-19 Hospital Resource Package - HHS, ASPR TRACIE
• Recommendations on the Care of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 and Kidney Failure Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy (ASN, 3/21/20)
• COVID-19 Fact Sheet - Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
• Public Health Emergency: COVID-19 Resource Page -  HHS, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
• ECRI Institute's Coronavirus Outbreak Preparedness Center - ECRI Institute 
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advice for the Public, Materials, Downloads - World Health Organization 
• Novel Coronavirus: Information for Internists - American College of Physicians (ACP)
• OSHA Respiratory Protection Reference - OSHA
• Updated Resources on Preparing for COVID-19 and Stewardship of Personal Protective Equipment - American Hospital Association 
• [Podcast] Emory Doctor Discusses Coronavirus Outbreak - American Hospital Association 
• Information for Screening and Management of COVID-19 in the Outpatient Dialysis Facility - American Society of Nephrology (ASN) , released 3/4/20
• Information for Transplant Programs and Organ Procurement Organizations regarding 2019 Novel Coronavirus  - HHS Organ procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)
• Awareness Poster for Provider Use - American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
• COVID-19 Planning and Preparedness Checklists for Healthcare - ASPR

Transportation and Cleaning 
resources received from Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER)

• NY State Department of Health - Guidance on Transportation - 3/21/20
• NY State Department of Health - Interim Guidance for Cleaning/Disinfection and Reporting for COVID-19 within Transportation Settings 

Training Materials

National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC)
Collaboration between Emory University, University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine and the New York Health and Hospital Corporation, Bellevue Hospital Center. 

NETEC offers a variety of online training and resources including: 

• Behavioral Health Considerations for Patient and Healthcare Workers 
• PPE Webinar - Extended Use, Reuse, and Innovative Decontamination Strategies 
• Caring for Pediatric Patients 
• Care for Caregivers 
• Hospital PPE Planning Tool

Online Training - World Health Organization (Free, must create an OpenWHO account)

• [VIDEO] Coronavirus Q&A - World Health Organization
• Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) - This training is intended for healthcare workers and public health professionals
• Introduction to Emerging Respiratory Issues, Including Novel Coronavirus - This course provides a general introduction to COVID-19 
• Critical Care Severe Acute Respitory Infection Course - This course is intended for clinicians 
• Health and Safety Briefing for Respiratory Diseases - ePROTECT - General introduction to Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) and basic hygiene measures

Infection Prevention 

CDC Resources 

• Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control FAQs for COVID-19 - Updated 4/23/20
• Dialysis Safety: Infection Prevention Tools
  Audit Tools and Checklists 
• Online Learning Module: Managing Infections in an Outpatient Dialysis Facility - in partnership with Nephrologists Transforming Dialysis Safety (NTDS)
• Hand Hygiene Recommendations - Updated 4/27/20

Other Resources

• Infection Prevention and Dialysis Centers- APIC

Mental Wellness

FOR EVERYONE

• Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event - CDC
• CDC Stress and Coping web page 
• Coronavirus and Mental Health: Taking Care of Ourselves During Infectious Disease Outbreaks - American Psychiatric Association

FOR COMMUNITIES

• Coping with Stress During an Infections Disease Outbreak  - CDC
• Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health during an Infectious Disease Outbreak - CDC

FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN

• Helping Children Cope with Emergencies - CDC
• Helping Homebound Children during the COVID-19 Outbreak - Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
• Coping After a Disaster - A Ready Wrigley activity book for children age 3-10
• Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 - National Child Traumatic Stress Network

FOR PATIENTS

The Coalition for Supportive Care for Kidney Patients has developed communication tools and resources to help clinicians respond to patients who are feeling stress, vulnerable, and scared during this pandemic.

• Maintaining Emotional Balance in an Unbalancing Time: Responding to hard questions and emotional stress about COVID-19 from dialysis patients or their families
• 4 Ways to Empower Yourself to Cope with COVID-19: Patient empowerment strategies for coping with COVID-19
• Promoting Physical and Emotional Comfort During COVID-19: Treating common reasons for distress experienced by dialysis patients or their families
• The Ask-Tell-Ask Approach to Conversations with Seriously Ill Patients with Kidney Disease

Additional Communication Tools for Patients and Families

• COVID-Ready Communication Skills: A playbook of VitalTalk Tips - Practical advice on how to talk about difficult topics related to COVID-19, including specific phrasing for patient and family conversations.
• Curriculum Guide for ADVANCE CARE PLANNING - Step-by-step approach to holding advance care planning conversations with patients with CKD adapted to patient’s level of readiness.

FOR PROVIDERS AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS

• Mini Modules to Relieve Stress for Healthcare Workers Responding to COVID-19: Leading Towards Organizational Wellness in an Emergency - ASPR 
• Outpatient Mental Health Services - CMS 
• Table of Mental Health Resources for Healthcare Professionals - ASN Response Team
• Resources to Support the Health and Well-Being of Clinicians - National Academy of Medicine
• Pandemic Response Resources for Providers and More - Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
• Managing Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Outbreak - National Center for PTSD
• Factors Associated with Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019 - Journal of the American Medical Association
• Sustaining the Well-Being of Healthcare Personnel during Coronavirus and other Infectious Disease Outbreaks - Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress 

FOR FIRST RESPONDERS 

• Emergency Responders: Tips for Taking Care of Yourself - CDC
• Disaster Technical Assistance Center - HHS, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

PAST EVENTS

PCSS Clinical Roundtable - Taking Care of Yourself Using Mindfulness and Other Techniques = 4/23/20

Managing Your Healthcare Providers' Mental and Physical Wellness in the Time of COVID-19 - 4/29/20
Presented by Sepsis Alliance 

CDC: Psychological First Aid: Addressing Mental Health Distress During Disasters - 4/22/20
Hosted by CDC Emergency Partners Information Connection (EPIC)
Presentation Slides 

Managing Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic - 4/7/20
Presented by Society of Critical Care Medicine
Recording Available Here