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Michelle Reese has been appointed as senior deputy director of the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This appointment becomes effective December 1, 2013. Her responsibilities will center on leading the division’s acute, community and EMTS programs as well as supporting the overall activities of the division. Michelle has been serving as interim deputy division director since May 2013. Since joining the department in 2005, Michelle has served as a policy analyst, the EMTS operations program manager, and the EMTS deputy section chief and the section chief. Prior to joining the department, Michelle spent four years representing state agencies in healthcare matters as an assistant attorney general at the Colorado Office of the Attorney General. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the University of Colorado....

The Division is proposing an amendment to the Chapter II General Licensure rules. The amendment defines palliative care and contains standards that facilities/agencies must adhere to if they choose to provide palliative care. You may review the language of the proposed amendment on our site .  Please review the proposed amendment and submit any comments regarding it by Friday, December 13, 2013 to the individual listed below. Laurie Schoder, Policy Analyst 303-692-2832, laurie.schoder@state.co.us

The Eldercare Specialist Program at Arapahoe Community College is offering scholarships for their Eldercare Specialist Certificate Program . This five credit-hour certificate includes two courses: (1) Concepts for Elder Care and (2) Introduction to Food Production Principles and Practices. The courses are completed over one 15-week semester. Once completed, students can work in a variety of settings to assist individuals create a vibrant home life. Insight into leadership, learning circles, team work and problem solving are a few of the new skills these participants will gain. You can view a brochure on the certificate program here. Please share this information with anyone that you think might be interested in this program. For more information, please Valerie Carter, RN, BSN, CCM, Faculty NUA, Department Chair APT, ELS, NUA, (303) 797-5962 or Valerie.carter@arapahoe.edu

The IDR Committee meeting scheduled for 1:30 pm on Tuesday, November 4, 2013 has been cancelled. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 1:30 pm. If you have any questions, please contact Elaine Sabyan at Elaine.Sabyan@state.co.us or 303-692-2819.

This message is being sent on behalf of the Disease Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division at CDPHE. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is now an official partner of the One & Only Campaign , a public heath campaign led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Safe Injection Practices Coalition (SIPC) to raise awareness among patients and healthcare providers about safe injection practices. The campaign aims to eradicate outbreaks resulting from unsafe injection practices. CDPHE, CDC and SIPC urge all healthcare providers to know the difference between single-dose and multiple-dose vials. The One & Only Campaign recently launched an interactive infographic that walks healthcare providers through the safe use of vials from various perspectives - providers, office managers, and patients - and concludes with a quick quiz to test your knowledge of medication vials. The infographic is available in two format...

The Culture Change Accountability Board has announced that they are accepting applications for the 2014-2015 Grant Cycle. Attached is the informational packet including: 1. Grant Announcement and Criteria 2. Grant Application 3. Accountability Board Checklist 4. Deliverables for Application 5. CCAB Monthly Progress Report 6. Quarterly Report Form For more information, please contact Jo Tansey, Long Term Care Program Supervisor at Jo.Tansey@state.co.us or 303-692-2863. Culture Change Accountability Grants Packet

The Regional Partners of the Colorado Front Range Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) invite you to join together in addressing the difficult issues of evacuation at a FREE evacuation seminar on November 18-19, 2013 at the Denver Marriott DTC. The Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) supports local preparedness efforts to respond to all-hazards mass casualty incidents, including natural disasters, epidemic disease outbreaks, large-scale hazardous material incidents, and terrorist attacks. Different tracks: For Home Health Care agencies and organizations , your track will consist of multiple group stakeholder discussions to review and develop plans, agreements and procedures that may affect how you respond and provide services to your clients during a disaster. For Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Residences: The long term care track offers the opportunity to meet local preparedness partners, refine and develop plans and discuss available resources. The time...

To improve the customer experience we recently made some changes to the online license application process. This change allows for the non-profit ownership type to be selected in the application building survey. There was an unexpected consequence of this update. All applications that had been started but not submitted as of 6:30 am on Tuesday 10/22/13 will need to complete the application building survey again. If you had submitted your application prior to 6:30 am yesterday you are unaffected. If you have not yet started your application you also are unaffected. We apologize for the inconvenience and will work to make any service improvements more seamless in the future. Thank you and have a great day. Noah Begley IT Liaison & Technical Training Program Coordinator Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

D. Randy Kuykendall has been selected by Joni Reynolds as the Director of the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Randy served as Interim Director leading up to the selection. This appointment reflects the Department's commitment to further enhance the important work conducted by the Division. Randy brings with him a wealth of expertise in management and health care, both as a leader and a technical expert. He has more than 35 years experience in emergency medical and trauma services system development and health care design and administration. Randy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Development and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies/Adult Learning from Regis University. Since coming to the Division in 2004, Randy has served as Chief of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services Section, Deputy Director of the Division and Interim Director. His leadership background includes having s...

The Culture Change Accountability Board has announced that they are accepting applications for the 2014-2015 Grant Cycle. Attached is the informational packet including: 1. Grant Announcement and Criteria 2. Grant Application 3. Accountability Board Checklist 4. Deliverables for Application 5. CCAB Monthly Progress Report 6. Quarterly Report Form For more information, please contact Jo Tansey, Long Term Care Program Supervisor at Jo.Tansey@state.co.us or 303-692-2863. Culture Change Accountability Grants Packet

Due to the flooding in Colorado, the Board of Health cancelled its September meeting where the Division was scheduled to make its request for a November hearing on this rule change. The Division has been rescheduled to appear before the Board in November to request setting the public hearing on this proposal. Therefore, the public rule-making hearing on this amendment is now scheduled for January 16, 2014. Please direct any questions or comments regarding this proposal to Laurie Schoder, policy analyst, at laurie.schoder@state.co.us or 303-692-2832.

Due to the flooding in Colorado, the Board of Health cancelled its September meeting where the Division was scheduled to make its request for a November hearing on this rule change. The Division has been rescheduled to appear before the Board in November to request setting the public hearing on this proposal. Therefore, the public rule-making hearing on this amendment is now scheduled for January 16, 2014. Please direct any questions or comments regarding this proposal to Laurie Schoder, policy analyst, at laurie.schoder@state.co.us or 303-692-2832.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division, has been made aware that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is contacting health care facilities directly regarding the flooding. While the intentions are good, it confuses the process and complicates response operations. Any and all Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF8) needs should be requested through your local ESF8 authorities, through the local emergency management jurisdictions, and to our Division. Thank you, Deann Conroy Deputy Director,  Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division

We are attaching a recent health alert sent out to local public health agencies from the Department. There is a nationwide shortage of the Tuberculin(TB) Skin Test Antigen "Tubersol". There are also regional shortages of the TB Skin Test Antigen "Aplisol". Some providers have identified the issue and have requested clarification in regard to new employee testing. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending the following: 1. Substitute the TB skin test with a blood test called "IGRA". This would require a blood draw and the test sent to a laboratory for analysis. The cost is greater than a TB skin test. 2. Substitute Aplisol for Tubersol where available to conduct TB skin testing. 3. Prioritization of need. The deferment of routine skin testing (new employee) should be considered in consultation with local public health authorities. In light of the recommendations of the CDC, the Department recommends you seek guidance from your local ...

In light of the recent flooding, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is actively monitoring the effects of flooding on the health and safety of residents/patients/clients. If your facility has been impacted by flooding, is in a potential evacuation area or has been asked to evacuate due to flood danger, please complete the attached form and send it to us . We are particularly interested in situations where transportation may be necessary to transfer people to a safe place or where appropriate alternative housing has not been found. The Department may be contacted as follows: Email: Health.Facilities@state.co.us (Please put Flood/Evacuation Information in the subject line.) Fax: 303-753-6214, (Please put Flood/Evacuation Information in the subject line.) Phone: 303-692-2836 Sincerely, Randy Kuykendall Interim Division Director, Health Facilities & Emergency Medical Services Division

This message is being sent on behalf of the Disease Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division at CDPHE. The Denver Metro TB Clinic and the Colorado Coalition Against Tuberculosis invite nurses and other health care providers from home health agencies and long-term care facilities to attend a tuberculosis update and skin testing practicum on Thursday November 14th, 2013 from 12:30 PM to 5 PM at the Rita Bass Training Center at Denver Health. Course Objectives are:  Express an increased and updated knowledge of TB infection and TB disease Demonstrate their skill in placing and reading the TST You can register for the event by visiting the  Denver Health website. Kerri McClory 303-692-2638 or  kerri.mcclory@state.co.us

The Division is proposing the addition of a new section in Chapter II, General Licensure regarding the performance incentive that was mandated by House Bill 12-1294. Please review the linked draft rule proposal and provide your written comments by October 15, 2013 to Laurie Schoder at laurie.schoder@state.co.us The draft rule can be viewed at our website in the Proposed Regulations section. Laurie Schoder Policy Analyst 303-692-2832 laurie.schoder@state.co.us

The Division has revised its proposed rule change to 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter II, Part 5 regarding patient record copy costs. The public rule-making hearing on this amendment is being rescheduled for November 20, 2013. A letter explaining this proposed change and a copy of the proposed revised amendment may be reviewed in the proposed regulations section of our website . Laurie Schoder Policy Analyst 303-692-2832 laurie.schoder@state.co.us

The Advancing Excellence Campaign has announced its completion of nine new quality goals and toolkits, which will be featured in a free, informational webinar on September 10, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. ET (1:00 PM MDT). Registration for the call can be found here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1848722501973917440 The Campaign's objective is to engage and challenge nursing homes to provide valuable data as well as make quality improvements. It envisions every nursing home resident in America experiencing person-centered quality of life as a result of a stable and empowered workforce, dedicated to improving clinical and organizational outcomes, and engaging in open communication and transparency. The nine new quality goals are:  Process Goals: - Improving staff stability; - Increasing use of consistent assignment; - Increasing person-centered care planning and decision making; - Safely reducing hospitalizations;  Clinical Goals: - Using medications appropriately;...

This message is from the Division of Fire Prevention and Control at the Colorado Department of Public Safety. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control is adopting permanent rules regarding House Bill 12-1268. A link to the proposed permanent rules is below. The Director of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control will hold a public hearing regarding these rules on: Friday, August 23rd at 9am  South Metro Fire Rescue Authority MHQ Board Room  9195 East Mineral Avenue, Centennial, CO 80112 If you have any comments on the proposed permanent rules, please send them to Rob Sontag, Section Chief at Robert.Sontag@state.co.us using the form below. Any additional comments will be considered at the official hearing. Proposed Rule Change Suggestion Form Final Health Facility Construction & Inspection Rules