CEO Update 103
HHS Extends Compliance Deadline for Providers to Receive Covid-19 Relief Funds
HHS late last week announced a 45-day, compliance deadline extension for healthcare providers who receive payments from the Provider Relief Fund to accept the department’s required terms and conditions.
The extension means HHS has granted providers a total of 90 days from the time they receive payments—made available through the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act— until the time they accept the department’s terms and conditions. If providers do not meet the terms and conditions, they must return the funds.
Visit HHS’ Provider Relief Fund webpage for more information.
The Joint Commission to Resume Surveys Next Month
The Joint Commission said this week it will resume regular surveys and reviews in June and will contact organizations due for a survey to assess the effects the coronavirus has had on their operations.
The Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based accrediting organization said it is reviewing a variety of factors and criteria to determine which organizations will be surveyed—including identifying and prioritizing low-risk areas.
In its announcement, The Joint Commission said the survey process will include changes to protect safety. For instance, the surveys will limit the number of individuals in group sessions and minimize the number of people who accompany the surveyor on tracer activities. In addition, using masks will be a routine practice, and The Joint Commission said it expects “the organization to provide masks and/or other personal protective equipment to surveyors and reviewers while on-site.”
“Our survey will focus on a thorough assessment but will not retroactively review compliance,” the announcement said. “The implementation of an organization’s emergency operations plan will not be the focus of return survey activity considering the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waivers and other extensions,” it continued. “Rather, we will work to understand how you have adapted to the pandemic and review your current practices to assure you are providing safe care and working in a safe environment.”
Click here to view The Joint Commission’s resources for healthcare staff fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
Recording of HHS’ Webinar on Ensuring Safety During Covid-19 Available Next Week
HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) will host a webinar on Tuesday, June 2 featuring how healthcare providers in the field have planned and implemented operational changes during Covid-19.
Registration for the 90-minute webinar is full, so HHS announced that a recording will be available 24 hours after the event.
The webinar will include officials from HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), as well as leaders from health systems in Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, D.C.
ONDCP Director to Lead Stakeholder Call Next Week on Supporting SUD Care in Rural America
James Carroll, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and other senior agency officials will host a rural stakeholder call on Tuesday, June 2 at 3 p.m. ET to discuss the changes that have been made to increase access to substance use disorder (SUD) care in rural America during the global pandemic.
Leaders from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Agriculture, and other organizations will serve as speakers during the hourlong call.
Click here to learn more and to register, as space is limited.
AHRQ to Host Webinar on the Role of Telehealth in Increasing Access to Care on June 9
HHS’ AHRQ will host a 90-minute webinar on Tuesday, June 9 to highlight how telehealth can increase access to care and improve healthcare quality.
Presenters—including a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California at Davis—will discuss their work on the effectiveness of telepsychiatry, the effect of telemedicine on chronic disease management, and the facilitators and barriers to adopting urban telemedicine.
Click here to learn more and to register.
Fact of the Week
A joint Census Bureau-National Center for Health Statistics survey during Covid-19 global pandemic found that 24% of Americans are showing clinically significant symptoms of major depressive disorder and 30% are showing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.