Resources for NYC Providers

LeadingAge NY recently participated in a conversation with other New York City (NYC) partners and received an update regarding the status of COVID-19 in the city. Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn currently have higher rates of positivity. While some key indicators regarding COVID-19 are decreasing, all boroughs are showing high levels of transmission, indicating continued need for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations such as universal masking in indoor public spaces. The City has also developed a program to incentivize primary care physicians to proactively promote vaccination with their patients. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is monitoring the staffing situation given the many staffing concerns that are being raised regarding the State vaccination mandate for health care providers.

In addition, we wanted to share some resources for NYC providers to support you in continuing to enhance your internal emergency preparedness capabilities. There are two free, virtual programs: The Long Term Care Exercise Program (LTCExP) and The Long Term Care Comprehensive Emergency Management Training and Technical Assistance Program (LTCCEMT/TA).

For nursing homes, home care, and adult care facilities (ACFs)/assisted living:

The Long Term Care Exercise Program – The LTCExP is designed to improve the disaster readiness of the City’s health care facilities – long term care facilities and home care organizations – by having facility emergency management teams learn to design, develop, conduct, and evaluate meaningful exercises that identify the organization’s strengths and opportunities for improvement in emergency response under simulated conditions. The seven-month program runs from October 2021 through May 2022 and includes Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) training and coordinated work group meetings via webinar that focus on conducting, evaluating, and documenting a city-wide functional exercise involving your facility. Participation in this program will satisfy your Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements (for those providers that are held to the CMS regulations). Click here for more information about the LTCExP.

For nursing homes and ACFs/assisted living:

The Long Term Care Comprehensive Emergency Management Training and Technical Assistance Program – The LTCCEMT/TA is designed to provide training and resources that will assist facilities in meeting CMS emergency management requirements for assessment, planning, and training. The LTCCEMT/TA is comprised of three webinars, each followed by an individualized facility technical assistance session with an Emergency Management Specialist mentor. Participation in this program will satisfy CMS requirements. Click here for more information about the LTCCEMT/TA.

Contact: Diane Darbyshire, ddarbyshire@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8828