12/09/2021

You Asked... We Answered 12/9/21

You Asked: 

Is health screening still required, and is it required to be handled by an individual such as a receptionist 24/7? We ask due to the relaxing of the visitation guidance. 

We Answered: 

Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has confirmed that there has not been a relaxing of the screening requirement with the updated CMS QSO-20-39-NH memo. CMS and ODH both confirmed that screening can occur with a passive self-screening process or an active screening process which involves an individual at the entrance assisting in the screening process. ODH further shared that the issues they have seen with screening is when there is a break in the established protocol. 

Examples of breaks in the process include staff being symptomatic but still working, staff not completing the screening, incomplete screening items, and visitors not understanding the screening process and not completing the process. LeadingAge Ohio encourages facilities to audit their screening procedures to identify potential breaks and risk areas in the process.

CDC provides the following recommendations for establishing a screening process:

• Ensure everyone is aware of recommended infection prevention & control (IPC) practices in the facility.
• Post visual alerts (e.g., signs, posters) at the entrance and in strategic places (e.g., waiting areas, elevators, cafeterias) with instructions about current IPC recommendations (e.g., when to use source control and perform hand hygiene).  Dating these alerts can help ensure people know that they reflect current recommendations.
• Establish a process to identify anyone entering the facility, regardless of their vaccination status, who has any of the following so that they can be properly managed: 1) a positive viral test for SARS-CoV-2,  2) symptoms of COVID-19, or 3) who meets criteria for quarantine or exclusion from work.
• Options could include (but are not limited to): individual screening on arrival at the facility; or implementing an electronic monitoring system in which individuals can self-report any of the above before entering the facility.

• Healthcare personnel (HCP), even if fully vaccinated, should report any of the three above criteria to occupational health or another point of contact designated by the facility. Recommendations for evaluation and work restriction of these HCP are in the Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2
• Visitors meeting any of the three above criteria should generally be restricted from entering the facility until they have met criteria to end isolation or quarantine, respectively. Additional information about visitation for nursing homes and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric residential treatment facilities is available from CMS.

• Patients meeting any of the three above criteria should be managed as described in Section 2.
• Unvaccinated HCP, patients and visitors should be offered resources and counseled about the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

 We encourage members to continue to submit questions to COVID19@leadingageohio.org.