DOH Issues Guidance on Resident Transfers
On July 17th, the Department of Health (DOH) issued Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) NH 20-03 reminding nursing homes of their obligation to notify their DOH regional office prior to the transfer of a resident under the following circumstances:
- Resident transfer to the emergency room, where the main purpose for the transfer is hospital admission related to the nursing home’s inability to manage and provide adequate care to the resident due to their COVID-19 status;
- Resident transfer to another nursing home, where the main purpose for the transfer is due to the nursing home’s inability to care for the resident(s); and
- Resident transfer is necessary to meet cohorting requirements. This includes COVID-19 transfer arrangements between all facilities.
For after-hours notification under these circumstances, the nursing home must provide notification to the DOH Duty Officer at 1-866-881-2809.
Contact: Elliott Frost, efrost@leadingageny.org, 518-441-8761