1. DHEC Announces Intent to Test All Nursing Home Staff & Residents for COVID-19 in May
On May 6, 2020, DHEC announced that it will test residents and staff members at every nursing home in the state for COVID-19. Beginning the week of May 11th, DHEC will begin a phased approach to test the approximately 40,000 nursing home residents and staff members at the state’s 194 nursing homes. The first phase will test approximately 15,000 residents and staff at 74 facilities. The news release is available here.
2. Use of Certified EMTs as Nurse Aides in Nursing Homes during COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
On May 7, 2020, DHEC issued a memorandum permitting nursing homes to temporarily employ certified South Carolina EMTs to perform tasks that nurse aides generally perform. This memorandum temporarily waives S.C. Code of Regulations 61-17, Section 603.C which requires that persons working in nursing homes as nurse aides be certified as such in South Carolina.
Nursing homes temporarily employing such EMTs shall comply with the SC DHHS Medicaid Bulletin regarding temporary nurse aides (available here). Notably, the temporary aides must complete an eight-hour training program and receive at least eight hours of clinical training in a simulation environment or in a health care facility under the direction of a registered nurse.
This memorandum may be rescinded at any time and is available here.
