Last Updated 2/7/2022
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Ambulatory Monoclonal Antibody Infusion Treatment for COVID-19
Clinical CME Courses
- The 2020 Novitas Explore Medicare Education Virtual Symposiums are coming soon! Register now!
Whether you are a new or experienced provider, biller, office staff member, or compliance officer, Medicare can sometimes be challenging. We invite you to join us for the 2020 Novitas Virtual Symposium to explore the most current information and resources available to help you remain compliant with the Medicare program. The virtual symposium allows you to participate, by webinar, in many of the same classes offered at the in-person event. Our instructors have prepared interactive and engaging presentations similar to our live sessions just for you!
This year’s virtual symposium is a two-day event offering numerous webinars, during multiple sessions, dedicated to providing you with the knowledge necessary to be a successful Medicare provider. You have the option of attending a webinar within each session, or customizing your participation to your own personal schedule and area of interest.
To register and participate in an educational event, you must have an account in the Novitas Learning Center. If you do not have one, request an account.
To learn more and to see a sample schedule of courses available, click here.
- COVID-19 in the Ambulatory Care Setting Multidisciplinary Continuing Medical Education Webcourse
This Webcourse was developed in partnership with Rockpointe, the Maryland State Medical Society and the Maryland Nurses Association. The course will prepare healthcare providers who work in an ambulatory-care setting to properly manage patients who present to their outpatient facility with symptoms of COVID-19 and is designed to be a practical guide for clinicians who work in outpatient settings, such as ambulatory-care offices, clinics, or urgent-care facilities. The activity, “COVID-19 in the Ambulatory Care Setting”, is jointly provided by the Potomac Center for Medical Education (PCME) and Rockpointe. The Maryland Nurses Association (MNA) is the provider of nursing contact hours. This free 1.5-hour webcourse is now available on-demand for the next 12 months on the Rockpointe website. This was released on March 30, 2020.
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Understanding and Addressing the Global Spread of the COVID-19 Infection: A Clinician’s Guide
Responding to the WHO Global Health Emergency, Rockpointe and the Potomac Center for Medical Education (PCME), in collaboration with MedChi, have developed a CME/CE-certified webinar to help physicians identify, diagnose, and act on potential cases of the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This is a free, hour-long webinar released on February 25, 2020.
COVID-19 Therapeutics
COVID-19 Vaccine
Decontamination Systems
The Battelle’s Critical Care Decontamination Systems™ (CCDS) used to decontaminate N-95 masks, is now operational in Maryland. It arrived a few days ago and is already operationally decontaminating masks. Thanks to an agreement Battelle signed with the federal government the service is available at “no charge” to hospitals, first responders and other front-line workers for the next 6 months.
With a capacity of 80,000 N-95 masks a day, Battelle is trying to get the word out to hospitals in Baltimore and throughout Maryland about how they can sign-up and start having their masks decontaminated. Battelle is partnered with Cardinal Health to help with the logistics of picking up and dropping off the masks—also at no charge service to the user.
Funeral Assistance
Guide to Infection Prevention
Learn to Vaccinate
At learntovaccinate.org there are 50 activities posted, with more being submitted each day, by accredited organizations. Clinicians can search by topic, organization, type of credit (AMA PRA, nursing, pharmacy, interprofessional), and format. In addition to the scientific basis and history of the COVID-19 vaccines, the materials also help clinicians learn how to effectively implement and safely deploy a vaccination strategy in their communities and address this national health crisis.
Medicare and Medicaid Programs
Nursing Home Guidance
- August 26, 2021 - Letter to Nursing Homes from Howard Haft, MD, MMM, CPE, FACPE, Executive Director of Maryland Primary Care Program and Aliya Jones, M.D., MBA, Deputy Secretary of Behavioral Health Administration, RE: FDA authorization of additional use for the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapeutic REGEN-COV to include post-exposure prophylaxis
- April 29, 2020 - Order of the Governor of the State of Maryland Order Number 20-04-29-01, RE: Amending and Restating the Order Dated April 5, 2020 Authorizing Various Actions Related to Nursing Homes and Other Health Care Facilities
- April 29, 2020 - Directive and Order Regarding Nursing Home Matters Pursuant to Executive Order No. 20-04-29-01Pursuant to Executive Order No. 20-04-29-01
Post-exposure Prophylaxis
Homemade Masks
Controlled Substances
- April 10, 2020 - In an effort to facilitate continuous patient care during quickly changing scenarios that are arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, DEA has issued two exceptions to regulations for DEA-registered hospital/clinics:
- Utilize alternate satellite hospital/clinic locations under their current DEA registrations (no need to apply for a separate DEA registration for the alternate site).
- Distributors can ship controlled substances directly to these alternate satellite hospital/clinic locations, even though these locations do not have their own DEA registrations (non-registered).
These two exceptions are in effect from April 10, 2020, until the public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) ends, unless DEA specifies an earlier date.
- This letter sets forth the above exceptions and lists conditions that must be met in order to receive controlled substances at a non-registered alternate satellite hospital/clinic. The first set of conditions pertains to what the DEA registered hospital/clinic needs to do to implement a non-registered alternate satellite hospital/clinic, along with recordkeeping procedures. The second set of conditions pertains to the delivery and receipt of the controlled substances at the non-registered alternate satellite hospital/clinic. As outlined in the letter, DEA registered hospital/clinics, as well as distributors of controlled substances, will need to coordinate with their local DEA offices.
- This letter is more for your information, and provides an exception for signing an invoice at the time of receipt of controlled substances at an Opioid Treatment Center (OTP).
- April 1, 2020 - New U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Guidance
Guidance to DEA-registered physicians providing new flexibility for physicians managing patients with opioid use disorder. The new guidance permits physicians and other health professionals with a waiver allowing them to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder to issue these prescriptions to new and existing patients based on an evaluation via telephone. The new policy is effective from March 31 for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. This guidance removes a considerable barrier for many patients during the national emergency and, importantly, allows them to stay at home.