DOH Releases New PPE Stockpile Inventory Requirements

The Department of Health (DOH) notified nursing homes on Feb. 8, 2023 that new 60-day personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile inventory requirements had been posted to the Health Commerce Distribution Management System (HCDMS). The PPE stockpile amounts were changed by recently adopted emergency regulations that calculate required inventory based on average census for calendar year 2022, rather than certified beds. The Department calculated average annual census using each facility's Health Emergency Response Data System (HERDS) COVID-19 survey submissions.

The change in the regulations was prompted by LeadingAge NY's advocacy highlighting the excess inventory and waste generated by the prior regulations, which determined required inventory based on certified beds. More information about the regulations is available here and here.

Nursing homes should be able to access their facility-specific inventory requirements by navigating through the Health Commerce System (HCS) to the HCDMS. The email notification includes the proper navigation path to access the file. It is the same application used to post the previous inventory requirements. Only facility staff with HCS roles of Administrator, Director of Nursing, and Operator will be able to access the file.

Individuals who are experiencing difficulty accessing their facility's file should first check with their facility's HCS Coordinator to determine whether they have been assigned the proper role. Other questions can be submitted to DOH here.

The new regulations should have resulted in a reduction in your required inventory. Please contact Karen Lipson at the email below if your inventory was not reduced.

Contact: Karen Lipson, klipson@leadingageny.org