WHAT PHYSICIANS NEED TO KNOW

(Updated April 3, 2020)

Resources for Your Practice

• What you need to know (Fact sheet, updated April 2, 2020)
• Harris County Extends "Stay at Home Work Safe" Order until April 30  (Houston Chronicle, March 31, 2020)
• Texas Medical Board COVID-19 Waivers and Guidance (HCMS, updated April 2, 2020)
• AMA Code of Medical Ethics: Guidance in a Pandemic (March 31, 2020)
• American Board of Medical Specialties Statement on Continuing Certification During COVID-19 (ABMS, March 26, 2020)
• Practice Viability
  • TMA Practice Viability Web Page
  • Financial Resources for Your Practice 
    
    • Use This Guide to Take the Right Steps for Your Practice's Finances (TMA, April 2, 2020)
    • This Can Help Your Practice's Revenue During COVID-19 (TMA, April 2, 2020)
    • CMS (Medicare) Interest Free Accelerated Loans (HCMS, March 30, 2020)
      • Accelerated and Advanced Payments Fact Sheet (CMS)
      • Payment Request Form for Part B Jurisdiction H (Novitas)
    • COVID-19 SBA Loans and Advances (updated April 3, 2020)
      • Paycheck Protection Program - Keeping employees working. If eligible, will not have to be repaid.
      • Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance (EIDL) - This loan advance will provide up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties. Will NOT have to be repaid.
      • SBA Express Bridge Loans - Enables small businesses that currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly. 
      • SBA Debt Relief - The SBA is providing a financial reprieve to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, updated April 1, 2020)
  • Human Resources
    • Healthcare and Public Health Among Those Deemed Essential (see Full Text from Harris County-Ready Harris)
    • Sample Travel Letter for Essential Employees (TMA) a Word document customizable for your practice
    • Example Employee Return/Continue to Work Guidelines 
    • COVID-19 Human Resource FAQs (TMA, March 27, 2020)
    • Emergency Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Staff Paid Time Off)
  • Telemedicine
    • Telemedicine/Telehealth (HCMS) with emergency declarations
    • Feds Approve Texas' Request for COVID-19 Medicaid Waiver (TMA, March 31, 2020) 
    • DEA provides new guidance allowing physicians to prescribe buprenorphine via telephone (DEA, March 31, 2020)
  • CARES Act
    • Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act Healthcare Highlights (AMA, updated March 30, 2020)
    • Summary of the Cares Act (NAGGL, Nat'l Association of Gov't Guaranteed Lenders-the SBA Lenders, March 29, 2020)

If You Suspect a Patient has COVID-19 and Needs Testing

Contact your local health department:

• Within the City of Houston
  Houston Health Department - Epidemiology
  832-393-5080 (24 hours)

• Unincorporated Areas of Harris County
  Harris County Public Health - Epidemiology
  713-439-6000 (After hours call 713-755-5000)

Infection Control, Patient Testing and Treatment, Coding Guidelines and More

• COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supply and Shortage FAQs (March 2020)
• COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control FAQs (March 2020) and a podcast with tips on how to minimize exposure (April 1, 2020)
• COVID-19 Treatment FAQs (April 1, 2020)
• COVID-19 Testing FAQs (March 2020)
• TMA COVID-19 Resources Page (April 2020)

• COVID-19 Healthcare Planning Checklist (HHS)
• CDC Guidance for Healthcare Professionals
  • Prepare your practice
  • List of EPA approved disinfectants
  • Interim Guidelines for Collecting Handling and Testing Clinical Specimen
• CDC Strategies to Optimize the Supply of PPE
• ALERT -- Severe Illness Associated With Using Non-Pharmaceutical Chloroquine Phosphate to Prevent/Treat COVID-19 (CDC)

• Houston Health Dept (HHD) Testing Guidelines
• HHD Lab 2019-nCoV Specimen Submission Form
  • Example Submission Form
  • Example Specimen Label
• Harris County Testing Guidelines
• Sign up for Houston Area Health Alert Network (HAN) to get the latest updates

• ICD-10 COVID-19 Coding Guidelines
  • WHO established new ICD-10 Code for COVID-19 (U07.1, 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease)
  • For cases where there is a concern about possible exposure but is ruled out after evaluation (Z03.818, Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out)
  • For cases where there is an actual exposure to someone who is confirmed to have COVID-19 (Z20.828, Contact with and (suspected) exposure to viral communicable diseases)
  • Additional coding guidance
• Release from In-Home Isolation Guidance (TxHHS, March 23, 2020)

• Texas Dept of State Health Services (DSHS) COVID-19 web page
• DSHS COVID-19 Call Center: 1-877-570-9779 (Weekdays, 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.)
• DSHS communication tools with printable materials for your office.

WHAT HCMS MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW

Postponed Branch Meetings:

• April 16 - Southeast Branch meeting
• April 22 - Western Branch meeting
• April 28 - East Branch meeting
• May 6 - Northwest Branch social event
• May 7 - North Branch meeting
• May 14 - Central Branch meeting
• May 20 - Southwest Branch meeting

Postponed Events:

• April 4 - Business Expo - Will be rescheduled to the fall. Date TBD.

• Favorite Healthcare staffing is prepared to assist facilities facing increased patient census due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • All specialties of Registered Nurses, LPNs, CNAs, and Advanced Practice professionals
  • Respiratory therapists, case managers, social workers. and other Allied Health professionals
  • Non-clinical staff including environmental services and materials associates

WHAT PATIENTS NEED TO KNOW

How Is COVID-19 spread?

It is primarily spread from person-to-person through:

• Close contact within approximately six feet;
• Respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.

Video -- Breaking down how staying in can save lives during the COVID-19 crisis pic.twitter.com/9q7MpbpES8

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

It is an upper respiratory illness that causes the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

It can take as little as two days, or as long as 14 days for symptoms to appear. As we are also experiencing flu season and high pollen counts, it is important to remember that there are other, more common causes for the upper respiratory symptoms mentioned above.

Information for patients and the public:

• For Houston residents: 
  832-393-4220 - Houston Health Dept COVID-19 Call Center (Weekdays, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.)

• For residents outside the city limits: 
  832-927-7575 - Harris County Public Health COVID-19 Call Center (Daily, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.)

How Can You Help? Give Blood Today

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center takes your safety seriously. Blood Donations remain an essential operation during the Stay at Home Work Safe order.  In order to maintain an adequate blood supply, healthy and well people should donate regularly.  If you want to be a blood donor, contact the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to set up an appointment at a facility near you.