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Healthcare entities should continue to submit requests for PPE through their local Office of Emergency Management. New York State continues to fulfill requests for PPE, as available. However, NYSDOH has become aware of instances in which healthcare providers, facilities, or practices are using or considering alternative means to manage PPE shortages,such as:

• Use of dubious means to attempt to disinfect N95 respirators or facemasks (e.g. putting them in the dishwasher).
• Use of a ventilator circuit filter attached to a disposable anesthesia facemask and strapped to the face in place of an N95 respirator.
• Use of homemade cloth masks.

If all efforts to obtain PPE through vendors and local Office of Emergency Management are exhausted or unsuccessful, healthcare providers should refer to the CDC guidance entitled “Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of PPE” 

Conventional, then contingency, then crisis capacity strategies should be used in that order, as feasible.

Many of the options from the CDC guidance document are summarized in the advisory.

For general guidance on the use of PPE in healthcare settings, please refer to CDC guidance entitled “Healthcare Supply of Personal Protective Equipment”

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The Governor announced that, through June 1, 2020, consumers and businesses experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 may defer paying premiums under individual and small group health insurance policies. DFS shall consider any liquidity or solvency concerns of the health plans. During this period, health plans will be required to continue to pay claims, not to report late payments to credit rating agencies, and to work with individuals to help them transition to new coverage, if appropriate. In addition, insurers are reminded that they cannot impose late payment fees. Governor Cuomo thanked Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont for his collaboration on this initiative.

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(Information found on page 2)

This advisory supersedes specimen collection and handling guidance from NYSDOH, released originally on March 25, 2020.

This update further extends previous recommendations that nasal and oropharyngeal swab specimen collection is an acceptable alternative, with recommendations for the collection of one (1) nasal swab AND one (1) saliva specimen through healthcare personnel (HCP) observed patient self-collection for specimens submitted to Wadsworth Center,if nasopharyngeal (NP) supplies are unavailable.

If you are using a laboratory other than the Wadsworth Center, follow the laboratory’s guidance for all specimen collection, handling, and transport processes, including whether nasal swab AND saliva specimen, or nasal swab AND OP swab specimen collection methods are acceptable alternatives to an NP swab.

• For any suspected COVID-19 cases, ensure appropriate infection control precautions are in place and immediately notify the infection control lead at your facility and the local health department (LHD).
  
  
• Review local testing options for those who do not require clinical outpatient/inpatient medical care

> Read the complete advisory

This advisory supersedes guidance from the New York State Department of Health issued on March 28, 2020, to clarify that this guidance applies to essential personnel who have been exposed to a confirmed OR suspected case of COVID-19.

Public and private sector organizations that provide essential services or functions where personnel are needed to perform critical functions, including infrastructure, public safety, and other essential operations, may allow personnel who were exposed to or are recovering from COVID-19 to work in the workplace setting,if needed to maintain essential operations.

Essential services or functions include but are not limited to public health personnel, utility and water operators, skilled manufacturers and supporting supply chains, transportation infrastructure, law enforcement, and emergency response personnel.

Essential personnel who have been exposed to a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 can return if the following conditions are met.

This advisory supersedes guidance from the New York State Department of Health to Hospitals, Nursing Homes (NHs) and Adult Care Facilities (ACFs) pertaining to the COVID-19 outbreak, released on March 16, 2020, and further clarifies the updated guidance issued on March 28, 2020.

Entities may allow healthcare personnel (HCP) who are confirmed with COVID-19 or  have been exposed to a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, or who have traveled internationally in the past 14 days, whether healthcare providers or other facility staff, to work if all of the following conditions are met.

There is an extremely concerning proposal contained in the Governor’s Medicaid Redesign Team recommendations that would require the nearly 17,000 physicians currently enrolled in the Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance program to bear 50% of the cost of these policies. 

This proposal would thrust over $50 million of new costs on the backs of community-based physicians at a time when they are seeing a substantially smaller number of patients in their practices, and facing extraordinarily difficult decisions as to whether how to meet payroll and/or to lay off administrative staff. 

Moreover, these new costs would be imposed on the thousands of physicians who are currently on the “front lines” of responding to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Contact your elected representatives and voice your objection

Telehealth is being promoted as an essential strategy to ensure ongoing care during the Coronavirus pandemic. On a daily basis, the rules related to provision of, and payment for telehealth are evolving, and misinformation is abundant. This webinar will discuss the current landscape, and changing rules, for providing telehealth including reimbursement, data security, telemental health and consents.

Click Here To Register

Headspace, a recommended resource by the ASPS for physician wellness is offering all US healthcare professionals, who work in public health settings, free access to Headspace Plus through 2020.

"What’s going on right now is a challenge for everyone. But you, our healthcare professionals, are particularly overburdened. Headspace wants to be here for you and support you as best we can. Helping you be kind to yourself, and your own health, during this difficult time."

If you are a healthcare professional, you can redeem your subscription using your National Provider Identifier (NPI) and email address. To get started, please select the state where your NPI is registered: https://www.headspace.com/health-covid-19

> Access more ASPS recommended physician wellness resources