04.13.2020

Workforce. Virtual Town Hall. Report from NYC.

New Opportunities for Nursing Students, Foreign M.D.s

Governor Charlie Baker issued emergency orders last week to further support the healthcare workforce and expand its capacity. One provides accelerated licensing of physicians educated in foreign medical schools. Specifically all graduates of international medical schools who have satisfactorily completed at least two years of postgraduate medical training in an accredited program are eligible for licensure. The Board of Registration in Medicine will expedite its review.

 

Another order authorizes nursing practice by graduates and senior students of nursing education programs. Under the executive order, senior nursing students and nursing school graduates who have not yet taken the NCLEX exam are eligible to work as nurses under the supervision of a licensed provider for the duration of the public health emergency. The Board of Registration in Nursing will be issuing guidance regarding supervision and the responsibility of students and the supervisor.

 

A second effort to engage nursing students in the COVID-19 response comes through the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Third- and fourth-year nursing students have the opportunity to practice as Patient Care Technicians in the post-acute setting. Students who wish to apply for these positions, or post-acute organizations wanting to hire into this role, are encouraged to do so through the COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Staffing Team Intake portal. Students will be matched with organizations hiring Patient Care Technicians, using criteria collected in the portal.

 

Betsy Lehman Center Hosts Virtual Town Halls

The Betsy Lehman Center and the Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Improvement Network of Massachusetts (PNQIN) are co-hosting a series of virtual town halls to share challenges and innovations in perinatal care during the pandemic. This past week’s town hall convened almost 250 participants and featured rapid fire presentations on six emerging challenges followed by an interactive discussion. Sign up here to receive updates and invitations to future town halls, including the next one on Tuesday, April 14 at noon. 

DOI Bulletin: Forego Cost Sharing for COVID-19 Care

The Division of Insurance (DOI) issued Bulletin 2020-13 last Thursday that, among other things, mandates that when delivered by in-network providers, health insurance companies are to provide coverage and forego any deductibles, coinsurance and copayments for medically necessary outpatient COVID-19 treatment, including diagnostic and lab services. When delivered in or out of network, carriers are to forego cost sharing for ED and inpatient COVID-19 treatment, and all providers are to be reimbursed at the contractually allowed amounts. Because everyone is working to minimize inpatient bed shortages, DOI expects carriers – without prior authorization requirements – to provide coverage for medically necessary services rendered by out-of-network acute care hospitals. The Bulletin also outlines payment rates, including the directive that plans pay out of network providers without a contract at 135% of Medicare.

Federal Government Issues $30 Billion

Given the monthly $1 billion loss in revenue that Massachusetts hospitals are experiencing due to the curtailment of elective surgeries, most outpatient care, and additional staff and resource costs, any financial relief is appreciated. Last Friday the federal government distributed the first $30 billion from the $100 billion appropriated to providers through the CARES Act. In Massachusetts, 8,746 Massachusetts providers had $841 million in total deposited in their accounts. MHA has not yet determined the amount hospitals received in total, but it is expected that hospitals will receive about half of the funding. The money was distributed based on each provider’s share of total Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements in 2019. MHA is engaged with federal officials on the remaining $70 billion to be paid and is also in discussions with state legislative leaders regarding additional state funding needed to address the significant financial losses being experienced by hospitals.

News Direct from N.Y. Frontlines

MHA held a brief but informative webinar yesterday with Dr. Dr. Mark Jarrett, Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Northwell Health – New York’s largest healthcare system. Jarrett is in the thick of it and offered some concise thoughts to Massachusetts hospitals anticipating the surge. He said Northwell feels the current situation is more difficult than 9/11, that patients can decompensate rapidly, moving from minimal oxygen usage to intubation within two hours; and that the effect on staff stress and morale has been great. Northwell expects significant PTSD for staff and will develop PTSD programs to screen staff and identify the supports they need. Listen to a recording of the webinar here.

MHA COVID-19 Webinar Series

MHA Education recently hosted a free two-part webinar series “COVID-19: What Healthcare HR Professionals Need to Know.” The webinar recordings are available here: Part 1 and Part 2.

Our Education Department will continue to offer COVID-19 related webinars and educational programming. Please continue to monitor our website for the latest offerings. If you have questions, or would like further information, please contact Lindsay Goldfarb at LGoldfarb@mhalink.org.

John LoDico, Editor