An independent commission will assess the response to COVID-19 and offer recommendations to nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced yesterday. Made up of industry experts, family members, clinicians, patient advocates and others, the commission will consider three areas: protecting residents from COVID-19 and improving the responsiveness of care; enabling rapid and effective identification and mitigation of COVID-19 transmission; and improving compliance with infection control policies.

CMS said the commission would also identify potential innovative approaches to using nursing home data for better coordination between federal, state and local entities. For more information on long-term care facility and nursing home guidance, see CDC’s Preparing for COVID-19: Long-term Care Facilities, Nursing Homes and CMS’s Long-Term Care Nursing Homes Telehealth and Telemedicine Tool Kit.

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