The state's long-term care facilities have faced immense challenges since Michigan recorded its first COVID-19 cases in March 2020. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has acted to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 by implementing a variety of strategies in the areas of infection control, diagnostic testing, data collection and reporting, and emergency staffing response.
MDHHS and other state partners continue to address and adapt to the changing impact of COVID-19 across the state. Expand the titles below to learn more about each component of the MDHHS Long-Term Care COVID-19 Plan.
Pursuant to the expiration of the public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has updated COVID-19 testing requirements. Effective May 12, 2023, skilled nursing facilities, home for the aged and adult foster care facilities licensed for 13 or more individuals, must return to standard communicable disease reporting. COVID-19 is a reportable communicable disease that requires reporting positive test results/cases and suspected outbreaks to a facility's respective local health departments (LHDs).
:MDHHS continues to provide testing supplies and guidance, please see the following resources for more details:
MDHHS and MIOSHA Long Term Care Respiratory Protection and Fit Testing Project
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will be providing free qualitative fit testing apparatus kits and Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) trainings to ensure respiratory protection standards are met throughout the State. These fit testing kits are for use with respirators and include a hood, collar, 2 nebulizers, bitter tasting sensitivity solution, bitter tasting fit test solution and laminated user instructions.
To request these free respirator fit kits for your facility, we ask that the facility's Infection Preventionist (or other designated facility employee) complete this order form. The individual completing this form (or their designee) will serve as the point of contact for the respirator test kit training that will be scheduled at a later date. That training, arranged through the MIOSHA, will be a train-the-trainer opportunity for 2-3 employees (i.e., the program administrator for the respiratory program and their back-up).
Completing this order form is the first in a two-step process: (l ) Once you complete and submit this form, kits will be shipped to the contact you identified at the shipping address you provided. (2) The information you submitted in this order form will then be forwarded, by MDHHS, to the MlOSHA to formally request, on behalf of your facility, respiratory training. You will, then, be contacted by a representative of the MIOSHA to coordinate a training date.
Qualifying facilities include skilled nursing, adult foster care, homes for the aged, and assisted living.
If you have any questions about this program or run into any issues with the form, please contact Kenneth Wirth at wirthk4@michigan.gov.
Pursuant to the expiration of the public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has updated COVID-19 reporting requirements.
Effective May 12, 2023, skilled nursing facilities, home for the aged and adult foster care facilities licensed for 13 or more individuals are no longer required to report weekly COVID-19 data elements to the State into the enhanced reporting systems, EMResource and Qualtrics, and must return to standard communicable disease reporting. The last date that facilities are expected to complete reporting into EMResource or Qualtrics will be May 10, 2023.
SNFs that are part of the MDHHS Care and Recovery Center (CRC) program will still be required to report weekly program monitoring data elements to the State through the EMResource reporting system on the “COVID-19 LTC CRC Report” board, in accordance with the MDHHS Designated Care and Recovery Center Reporting Data Instructions beyond the expiration of the PHE on May 11, 2023.
Data received as part of this requirement has ensured that MDHHS has had the information necessary to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, providing an understanding of the impact on residents and facilities, and identified resource needs and supported prioritization of public health action. Data and more information on this project are located on the MDHHS Coronavirus Long-Term Care Data web page.
Skilled nursing facilities will be responsible for directly submitting their COVID-19 surveillance data into the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) reporting platform as outlined by federal reporting guidelines. Information on COVID-19 reported by nursing homes to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) COVID-19 Long Term Care Facility Module can be found on the CMS COVID-19 Nursing Home Data web page.
Please see the following resources for more details and guidance on reporting requirements and implementation:
Skilled Nursing Facilities
Home for the Aged and Adult Foster Care Facilities
Direct Care Workforce
The direct care workforce serving Michigan's aging population has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring health, safety, and well-being of the most vulnerable. In recognition of the critical care direct care workers (DCW) provide in long-term care settings and in the community, Governor Whitmer, alongside the Michigan legislature supported several appropriations over the course of state fiscal years, 2020, 2021 and 2022 to provide increased reimbursement to these essential workers. The funds appropriated to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services are available to qualifying DCW staff through direct reimbursement to qualifying employers. The supporting policies, frequently asked questions, and reimbursement resources are catalogued below.
Adult Foster Care & Home For the Aged Facilities
Home Help, MI Choice Waiver, MI Health Link, & Behavioral Health Service Providers
Skilled Nursing Facilities
The Care and Recovery Center and the COVID-Relief Facility Programs were established under Michigan Public Act 231 of 2020. These programs were designed to ensure Michigan's nursing homes were prepared to provide care to individuals who have tested positive for coronavirus under transmission-based precautions within the guidelines and best practices from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Michigan's nursing homes must be reviewed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to ensure they meet the minimum criteria outlined within the legislation and associated MDHHS policies. For more information on these programs, please see below:
Care and Recovery Centers
COVID-Relief Facilities
Request for IPRAT assistance – Facilities currently determined as a COVID Relief (CR) Tier may submit capacity change requests if seeking formal guidance and/or technical assistance from the IPRAT Unit in adapting to community conditions and/or managing COVID-19 within their facility.
We want to make sure you have access to important communication resources as you work to educate your communities about the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. This toolkit includes graphics, videos and handouts that are ready to share with your networks in newsletters and on social media. New content will be added frequently. For more information about vaccines for long term care residents, visit: COVID-19 Vaccines for Long-Term Care Residents.
Within this folder, there are two very important infographics. One explains how MrNA works. The other talks about how a new vaccine is developed, approved and manufactured. These are translated in Arabic, Spanish and Chinese. Print, include in a presentation or email as an attachment.
You can place these files on your website. Once placed, make sure that when someone clicks on the file, it will link to Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine. The website is the best place for members of our community to find the most up-to-date information.
This folder has print ads that can be shared with local publications, printed out as handouts or a poster or included in a presentation. The ads are translated in Arabic, Spanish and Korean.
Social media videos (TV spots)
This folder has all the produced TV spots. They are ready to be shared on social media through Facebook or Twitter.
