NYSHFA Call with DOH Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett
NYSHFA participated in a call with DOH Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett and the Department’s key leadership staff today. During the call, Dr. Bassett recognized providers for all their efforts throughout the ongoing pandemic; discussed the prevalence of COVID in skilled nursing and adult care facilities; and talked about related vaccination and booster efforts.
Specifically, Dr. Bassett discussed the increasing upward trend of confirmed COVID cases in nursing homes over the last 7 days with 4,847 cases reported as of January 4th – a more than quadrupling of cases since late September. Dr. Bassett then discussed data related to the percentage of SNF and ACF residents who are fully vaccinated with the COVID booster at 74% and 83% respectively. Dr. Bassett noted that the national percentage of nursing home residents that are fully vaccinated with the booster is 60%.
Dr. Bassett continued by discussing data that showed that while 35% and 22% of residents in SNFs and ACFs are ineligible for the booster as of today, 26% of SNF residents and 48% of ACF residents have declined the booster. Dr. Bassett then raised the Department’s focus on structural barriers to residents receiving the booster, noting that 17% of SNF residents and 7% of ACF residents have not received family/guardian consent for the booster.
Dr. Bassett then discussed the Department’s efforts to provide non-surgical paper masks to all nursing homes and provide OTC COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to assist nursing homes as well as outbreak testing. These supplies are being delivered by UPS and will begin today and continue through next week.
During the call we also discussed the long-term care staffing crisis New York providers are facing and the Governor’s efforts to address this crisis as well as provider burdens associated with daily HERDS reporting.
NYSHFA will continue to actively work with Dr. Bassett and DOH leadership on these and related matters as we move forward in 2022.
NYSHFA/NYSCAL CONTACTS:
Stephen B. Hanse, Esq.
President & CEO
518-462-4800 x11
Jackie Pappalardi, RN, BSN
Executive Director
518-462-4800 x16
