Nursing Homes

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) held a statewide Nursing Home Regulatory webinar on April 15. All nursing home providers were invited to participate.

This webinar provided an update on implementation of nursing home regulation guidelines and updates.

Topics

• Top citations and complaint data for quarter two of fiscal year 2025
• MDH updates
• Nurse Aide Registry In-Facility Testing
• Nursing Home Incident Reporting (NHIR) — discussion about facility reportable incidents

During the quarterly call on April 9, MDH received questions about facility self-reports and Enhanced Barrier Precautions from providers. We want to thank everyone who attended the call and asked their questions; listed below are resources to assist providers in understanding these guidelines.

Facility Self-Reports

We encourage providers to review the resources available from CMS, as well as the training that is available to through the CMS Quality, Safety, and Educational Portal (QSEP) training site.

• Nursing Homes (cms.gov)
• QSEP - Driving Healthcare Quality (cms.gov)

Enhanced Barrier Precautions

The QSO-24-08 NH Memo Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes to Prevent Spread of Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs) | CMS, included links to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) web pages with additional resources and continuing education webinars.

The Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) team encourages providers to sign up for Project Firstline trainings and also provided links for additional resources:

• On the Health care infection prevention and control section of the Project Firstline Training and Resources page, click on Long-term care to for a webinar recording and supplemental resources.
  • You'll need to register to view the Enhanced Barrier Precautions webinar recording: PFL Enhanced Barrier Precautions (vovici.com).
• Implementation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Use in Nursing Homes to Prevent Spread of Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs) | HAI | CDC
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes | HAI | CDC
• Consideration for Use of Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Skilled Nursing Facilities HICPAC (cdc.gov)
• Keeping Residents Safe – Use of Enhanced Barrier Precautions (cdc.gov) (PDF)
• Help Keep Our Residents Safe - Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes (cdc.gov) (PDF)

You can also reach out to the ICAR team via email at health.icar@state.mn.us.

The Resources for Providers page has been updated to include a section addressing adult-use cannabis and hemp-derived THC product consumption in long-term care facilities. You can also click here to go directly to the Frequently-Asked Questions about Cannabis Use page.

This guidance was created as a collaborative effort with the Office of the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care, Minnesota’s Long Term Care Imperative, and staff from the Minnesota Department of Health to respond to questions regarding recreational adult-use cannabis submitted by long-term care providers. It is not intended to be used by the general public.

This guidance is not intended to provide guidance for medical marijuana use, and may not address all provider questions. Facilities are encouraged to work with their legal teams to ensure compliance with all state and federal requirements.