More than 237,000 Colorado health workers fully vaccinated; hundreds of facilities remain out of compliance

More than 237,000 health care workers are fully vaccinated and in compliance with the state mandate, new data shows, but hundreds of facilities have yet to report their data, and officials have begun issuing citations to those organizations.

The mandate took effect Oct. 1, and facilities were required to begin reporting their workforces' uptake first that day and again by Oct. 15. But as of Oct. 14, a third of them — 794 — have yet to do so, according to data provided by the state Tuesday. All of those facilities were out of compliance with the mandate, and the state informed them of their "impending deficiencies" late last week, said Jessica Bralish, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health and Environment. 

"CDPHE is issuing citations to all facilities that failed to report," she said in an email.

When the state Board of Health passed the emergency rule requiring 100% vaccination of health care workers, officials made clear the state would hold facilities — not individual providers or workers — responsible for both tracking and ensuring uptake. Should facilities report below 100% compliance — which allows for some exemptions — they will face an escalating series of consequences, up to the state suspending or revoking their licenses, officials have said. 

Representatives from various health industries, particularly the hospital and nursing home trade groups, have lobbied the state to lower the mandate to 90%, which would be in line with flu vaccine regulations. But state officials have firmly denied that request and have said they will wait for guidance from the federal government, which has its own, yet-to-be-detailed mandate coming.

According to a list of the 794 deficient facilities that have yet to report their numbers, 283 — more than 35% — are assisted-living centers. Vaccination uptake among long-term care staffers has been a consistent concern among industry and state leaders since vaccines became available late last year. Even though they were among the first group to be eligible to receive the vaccine, those workers were consistently behind both their residents and medical providers in uptake rates.

Read Full Article

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Takes Additional Actions on the Use of a Booster Dose for COVID-19 Vaccines

For Immediate Release: October 20, 2021

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action to expand the use of a booster dose for COVID-19 vaccines in eligible populations. The agency is amending the emergency use authorizations (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines to allow for the use of a single booster dose as follows:

  • The use of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine that may be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series to individuals:
    • 65 years of age and older
    • 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19
    • 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2
  • The use of a single booster dose of the Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 2 months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older.
  • The use of each of the available COVID-19 vaccines as a heterologous (or “mix and match”) booster dose in eligible individuals following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine.
  • To clarify that a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series to individuals 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

Read Full Announcement

 

COVID-19 Upates (10-22-21)

PHE Extended

On October 18, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Public Health Emergency (PHE) has been extended for 90 days from October 18, 2021 until January 16, 2022. The CMS 1135 waiver flexibilities will remain in effect as long as a COVID-19 public health emergency is in effect.

Additionally, as a provision of Section 3706 of the CARES Act, hospice physicians and nurse practitioners may continue to conduct recertification face-to-face encounters through telehealth “during the COVID-19 emergency period.”

President Biden Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for Kids Ages 5-11

On October 26th, the FDA’s independent advisory committee will meet to discuss recommendation of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5-11 years old. The CDC’s independent advisory committee will convene afterwards, on November 2nd and 3rd. 

In anticipation of eventual approval resulting from the recommendations from these meetings, the Biden Administration announced a plan last Wednesday to ensure that the vaccine would be quickly distributed and available to families across the country. Download the Fact Sheet from the White House website.

FDA Advisers Support Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Booster

As reported by Roll Call, “Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted, 19-0, to authorize a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster shot at least two months after the first dose, providing some reassurance to the 14 million Americans who received its vaccine and face a higher risk of mild cases than other vaccinated people. FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said at the meeting that real-world evidence suggests the single dose shot is less effective than the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, including against hospitalization. Johnson & Johnson argued two doses of its vaccine would ramp up efficacy to 94 percent, comparable to those other authorized vaccines.”

As reported by Axios, “The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will likely allow recipients of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 to mix and match vaccine boosters depending on their individual health. Fauci acknowledged that data suggests that boosting the J&J vaccine with one of the mRNA vaccines produces more antibodies than a second shot of the J&J vaccine.”

Booster dose of Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine shows 95.6% efficacy in Phase 3 trial, companies say

 

Finding Your Leadership Self: Professionally and Personally

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 | 6:45pm - 8:00pm MT

Location: Virtual via Zoom

Join the APTA Colorado Pediatric SIG for a virtual course, Finding Your Leadership Self: Professionally and PersonallyThis session will focus on several different paths for developing leadership as a pediatric physical therapist, in the APTA or other professional organizations, and in personal life situations. By highlighting the development of leadership, we will explore how to capitalize on opportunities, and how to think of oneself as a leader even before you may feel “ready” to take on a leadership role. More specifically, the session will examine leadership at many levels of APTA, in your own clinical practice as a pediatric physical therapist, and in your personal community. The goal of this session is to lead PSIG members to think more actively on how they can contribute, gain leadership skills, and offer themselves as leaders professionally and personally.

Registration for this event is donation based and open to all members and non-members.

Click here for more information & to register!

 

Vestibular Therapy: Implications for Acute Care

Thursday, November 11, 2021 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm MT

Location: Virtual via Zoom

Join the APTA Colorado CARe SIG for a virtual course, Vestibular Therapy: Implications for Acute Care. This course will be approximately 1.5 hours with time for Q&A and demonstration built in. The objective of this course is to provide an overview of causes and diagnostic approach of dizziness in the inpatient setting. The course will emphasize screens and treatments within the scope of a physical therapist. Topics will include screening for central vs peripheral types of dizziness, typical and atypical BPPV, testing for a vestibular hypofunction, a review of the CPG for unilateral and bilateral vestibular hypofunction(s), and discuss types of central dizziness with treatment recommendations.

This is a FREE event and open to all members and non-members and qualifies for category II education. 

Click here for more information & to register!

 
<< first < Prev 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 Next > last >>

Page 81 of 172