CMS forms independent commission for COVID-19 response in nursing homes
CMS has announced the members of the independent Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes, as the agency is seeking an independent review and assessment of what happened at nursing homes across the countries when COVID-19 hit.
MITRE Corporation has been tasked with soliciting member applications, selecting members of the commission and facilitating the commission’s work. Twenty-five members have been selected to sit on the commission, representing a range of expertise, affiliations, background and geography, according to CMS.
Nursing homes have been some of the hardest hit facilities of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many vulnerable people living together in close quarters. According to CMS, the commission is now part of the agency’s five-point plan, released in April 2019, to ensure safety and quality in nursing homes.
“The unique vulnerability of nursing homes – populated by frail, elderly residents living in close quarters––to a highly contagious, deadly disease like COVID-19 has placed nursing homes at the center of America’s pandemic response,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. “CMS has acted swiftly and decisively to promote infection control and maximize transparency and accountability. We mourn the precious lives lost in nursing homes, and commit to refining and perfecting our approach with the help of the Coronavirus Commission on Nursing Home Safety and Quality.”
The commission is specifically tasked with making an assessment of the COVID-19 response from nursing homes that can hopefully inform recommendations and actions for best practices going forward. The commission will focus on three areas:
- Ensuring residents are protected from the virus and improving the responsiveness of care deliver
- Strengthening effort to enable rapid and effective identification and mitigation of COVID-19 transmission in nursing homes
- Enhancing strategies to improve compliance with infection control policies in response to COVID-19
See the full list of announced members here.
