LTCF Surveillance Testing FAQs

LTCF Surveillance Testing FAQs

(From Marnie Mountjoy, DAIL, August 5, 2020)

Good afternoon-

Click Here to download the LTCF Surveillance Testing FAQ that has been released by The Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Please let us know if you have any questions or need additional clarification.

KDPH Revised Guidance on clearance for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 Cases (Release from Isolation/Return to Work) – 8/3; available at: https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/covid19/Guidanceforreleasefromisolation.pdf

• The information on page 2 of the updated release from isolation guidance applies only to COVID-19 positive patients. Those who are ready for transfer to LTC would go to a COVID-19 unit if they have not met criteria for release or they would go to the general LTC resident population if they have met criteria for release. No testing would be necessary. The guidance regarding testing of patients prior to transfer from acute care to long-term care applies to those with potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 given their recent history of being in the community or hospital.

COVID-19 Surveillance Testing

• We are getting indications of additional interest in the program from labs, but they are slowly applying for contracting approval…following up by phone with those that requested info but haven’t yet completed the application process.

• Supply chain issues with the testing reagents appears to be emerging as the next hurdle in our path; turn-around times are likely to be negatively affected in the short-term, but encourage providers to press labs for “as short as possible.”

• Sent a “reminder” communication to all contract-approved labs that this is a voluntary program supported by the state – not “mandated,” and to please reflect that in the marketing materials.

• FAQ’s - first edition has been advanced by the Task Force and approved for posting on the CHFS website – I’ll send you the link as soon as it is live. (We will have the ability to update it instead of having to replace it when something gets added or changes.)

• In response to the many expressions of concern received from providers about the additional strain on staff time the testing program poses, CHFS is committed to reducing that risk. It appears there will be a mechanism to offer an opportunity for LTC providers participating in the program to contract directly with CHFS to receive payment for extracting the PCR samples – thereby recovering at least some of the expense associated with having staff perform this task (depending on scale, maybe more than cover it). We are working out the details of how to make this happen and will send you the playbook ASAP. Had hoped to have this today, but didn’t want to hold up the rest of this info.

Thank you for all you are doing to serve the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable citizens!

Marnie Mountjoy

Department for Aging and Independent Living

Cabinet for Health and Family Services

275 E Main St, 3E-E, Frankfort KY 40621

marnie.mountjoy@ky.gov

(502) 564-6930, ext. 3526 • (502) 229-5229 (cell)

Fax (502) 564-4595