WASHINGTON D.C. – The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) sent a
letter today to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding its forthcoming Final Healthcare Standard on COVID-19. The nation’s largest association representing long term and post-acute care providers requested that workplace safety standards remain consistent with updated COVID-19 standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for nursing homes.
AHCA/NCAL argues that protocols established at the beginning of the pandemic are no longer prudent due to new, less severe COVID-19 variants and the tools that are now widely available to combat the virus (e.g., vaccines and treatments). Moreover, previous stringent protocols had a separate, detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of residents and contributed to the burnout of staff.
OSHA is anticipated to release the Final Healthcare Standard on COVID-19 in the coming weeks.
To read the full letter, click
HERE.