Every finding on record at Todd County Phns

A survey with CMS Appendix Z Emergency Preparedness Requirements, was conducted on 5/31/22-6/2/22, during a recertification survey. The facility was in compliance with the Appendix Z Emergency Preparedness Requirements.

On 5/31/22-6/2/22 a recertification survey was conducted. This resulted in a standard survey at Todd County PHNS. The agency was found to have not met the requirements at 42 CFR. Part 484 for Home Health Agencies. The cumulative effects of these findings resulted in the Home Health Agency’s inability to ensure provision of quality of care. Unduplicated census previous 12 months: 155 Total home visits conducted:3 Parent location visited: 212 2nd Ave South, Long Prairie, MN This agency has no branch offices List Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. List total number of records reviewed: 7

COVID-19 Vaccination of Home Health Agency staff CFR(s): 484.70 (d)-(d)(3)(i-x) § 484.70 Condition of Participation: Infection Prevention and Control. (d) Standard: COVID-19 Vaccination of Home Health Agency staff. The home health agency (HHA) must develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that all staff are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. For purposes of this section, staff are considered fully vaccinated if it has been 2 weeks or more since they completed a primary vaccination series for COVID-19. The completion of a primary vaccination series for COVID-19 is defined here as the administration of a single-dose vaccine, or the administration of all required doses of a multi-dose vaccine. (1) Regardless of clinical responsibility or patient contact, the policies and procedures must apply to the following HHA staff, who provide any care, treatment, or other services for the HHA and/or its patients: (i) HHA employees; (ii) Licensed practitioners; (iii) Students, trainees, and volunteers; and (iv) Individuals who provide care, treatment, or other services for the HHA and/or its patients, under contract or by other arrangement. (2) The policies and procedures of this section do not apply to the following HHA staff: (i) Staff who exclusively provide telehealth or telemedicine services outside of the settings where home health services are directly provided to patients and who do not have any direct contact with patients, families, and caregivers, and other staff specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section; and (ii) Staff who provide support services for the HHA that are performed exclusively outside of the settings where home health services are directly provided to patients and who do not have any direct contact with patients, families, and caregivers, and other staff specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section. (3) The policies and procedures must include, at a minimum, the following components: (i) A process for ensuring all staff specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section (except for those staff who have pending requests for, or who have been granted, exemptions to the vaccination requirements of this section, or those staff for whom COVID-19 vaccination must be temporarily delayed, as recommended by the CDC, due to clinical precautions and considerations) have received, at a minimum, a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, or the first dose of the primary vaccination series for a multi-dose COVID-19 vaccine prior to staff providing any care, treatment, or other services for the HHA and/or its patients; (ii) A process for ensuring that all staff specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, except for those staff who have been granted exemptions to the vaccination requirements of this section, or those staff for whom COVID-19 vaccination must be temporarily delayed, as recommended by the CDC, due to clinical precautions and considerations; (iii) A process for ensuring the implementation of additional precautions, intended to mitigate the transmission and spread of COVID-19, for all staff who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19; (iv) A process for tracking and securely documenting the COVID-19 vaccination status of all staff specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section; (v) A process for tracking and securely documenting the COVID-19 vaccination status of any staff who have obtained any booster doses as recommended by the CDC; (vi) A process by which staff may request an exemption from the staff COVID-19 vaccination requirements based on an applicable Federal law; (vii) A process for tracking and securely documenting information provided by those staff who have requested, and for whom the HHA has granted, an exemption from the staff COVID-19 vaccination requirements; (viii) A process for ensuring that all documentation, which confirms recognized clinical contraindications to COVID-19 vaccines and which supports staff requests for medical exemptions from vaccination, has been signed and dated by a licensed practitioner, who is not the individual requesting the exemption, and who is acting within their respective scope of practice as defined by, and in accordance with, all applicable State and local laws, and for further ensuring that such documentation contains (A) All information specifying which of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines are clinically contraindicated for the staff member to receive and the recognized clinical reasons for the contraindications; and (B) A statement by the authenticating practitioner recommending that the staff member be exempted from the HHA's COVID-19 vaccination requirements for staff based on the recognized clinical contraindications; (ix) A process for ensuring the tracking and secure documentation of the vaccination status of staff for whom COVID-19 vaccination must be temporarily delayed, as recommended by the CDC, due to clinical precautions and considerations, including, but not limited to, individuals with acute illness secondary to COVID-19, and individuals who received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma for COVID-19 treatment; and (x) Contingency plans for staff who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This STANDARD is not met as evidenced by: Based on interview and document review, the agency failed to develop a process for ensuring the implementation of additional precautions, intended to mitigate the transmission and spread of COVID-19, for all staff who were not vaccinated. Three unlicensed staff (HHA) were confirmed unvaccinated and were granted non medical exemption. This had the potential to affect 26 patients receiving care from the HHAs. On 6/2/22, at 9:24 a.m. HHA-A confirmed she was not vaccinated against COVID-19 but was granted non-medical exemption. HHA-A stated she was instructed to self screen each day. HHA-A would report signs and symptoms related to COVID-19 to the nursing supervisor and not report to work. In addition to self screening, HHA-A stated she was instructed to wear eye protection and a medical face mask with all patient interactions, including direct care. HHA-A indicated she was not aware of additional precautions taken for staff were not vaccinated. On 6/2/22, at 1:54 p.m. Nursing Supervisor (RN)-A stated she expected unvaccinated staff to follow the same procedures as those who were vaccinated. This included self-screening for COVID-19 signs and symptoms each workday, use of medical face mask and eye protection during patient care. RN-A confirmed the agency policy for employee vaccination against COVID-19 did not include a contingency plan for staff who are not vaccinated. Agency policy, Mandatory Vaccinations for Employees (COVID-19) reviewed 1/27/22, did not include additional precautions, intended to mitigate the transmission and spread of COVID-19, for all staff who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19.