Last week, states received a minimum of $1.25 billion from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, Title V) to use at their discretion to address issues related to the pandemic. These dollars may be used to fund necessary COVID-19-related expenses that have not been addressed in their most recently passed state budgets and are limited to expenses that occur between March 1 to Dec. 30, 2020.

In the most recent episode of Rural Matters, host Michelle Rathman chats with Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, about the impact of COVID-19 on rural health.

Listen to the Episode.

With some states beginning to open up for business and relax limitations put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the States with the Fewest Coronavirus Restrictions, as well as accompanying videos.

To identify which states have the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 9 key metrics. Our data set ranges from limits on large gatherings to the presence of a “shelter-in-place” order and whether restaurants and bars have reopened. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.

Coronavirus Restrictions in Pennsylvania (1=Fewest, 25=Avg.):

• 31^st – Requirement to Wear a Face Mask in Public
• 29^th – Travel Restrictions
• 39^th – Large Gatherings Restrictions
• 24^th – “Shelter in Place” Order
• 35^th – Reopening of Non-Essential Businesses
• 18^th – Reopening of Restaurants and Bars

Note: Rankings are based on data available as of 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday, May 4, 2020.

For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-fewest-coronavirus-restrictions/73818/

To continue to limit the spread of COVID-19, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf today provided guidance that details procedures businesses must follow to conduct in-person operations in counties slated to move to the yellow phase of reopening on May 8. All businesses, including non-profits, permitted to conduct in-person operations are subject to this guidance. This guidance is based on the building safety and business safety orders, under which nearly all life-sustaining businesses have been operating during the red phase.

Under the yellow phase of reopening, life-sustaining businesses that could not conduct either all or part of their operations via telework will continue to conduct their operations in-person, and many non-life sustaining businesses will be permitted to restart their in-person operations through the loosening of some restrictions under the stay-at-home and business closure orders.

In counties that have been designated as in the yellow phase, all businesses, except those categories specifically listed as remaining closed in the governor’s Plan to Reopen Pennsylvania, are permitted to conduct in-person operations, as long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance.

The guidance includes specific information on cleaning and disinfecting premises, limiting the number of employees in common areas and customers on premises, providing masks and sanitizing supplies for employees, installing shields or other barriers at registers and checkout areas to physically separate cashiers and customers, and creating a plan in case a business is exposed to a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19, among other provisions.

SBA announced that agricultural producers, for the first time, are now eligible for the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs.

SBA’s EIDL portal has been closed since April 15. However, the Agency is able to reopen the portal today, in a limited capacity, as a result of funding authorized by Congress through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act. The legislation provided additional critical funding for farmers and ranchers affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In order to help facilitate this important change to EIDL Loan and EIDL Advance assistance eligibility, SBA is re-opening the Loan and Advance application portal to agricultural enterprises only. For agricultural producers that submitted an EIDL loan application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change, SBA will move forward and process these applications without the need for re-applying. All other EIDL loan applications that were submitted prior to April 15 will be processed on a first-in, first-out basis.

The application is available at www.SBA.gov/Disaster or here.

In order to come together to offer free support for our communities, many organizations and providers have created a free tool to utilize while we are all impacted by COVID-19 together. This is a very user-friendly tool that helps direct people to emergency services, local providers and resources for coping skills to manage mental health symptoms. The COVID-19 Pandemic Support Resources is a place both for patients and for the helpers who might be struggling.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for healthcare systems to seamlessly relay clinical information to one another. Health IT plays an essential role in the collecting and reporting of COVID-19 data and facilitating effective strategies to combat COVID-19. Here in the commonwealth:

• The Pennsylvania Patient and Provider Network (P3N) facilitates the exchange of clinical data among five P3N Certified Healthcare Information Organizations (HIOs).
• Each of the P3N HIOs hosts clinical data repositories, Admission-Discharge-Transfer messages, continuity of care documents, lab reports, radiology reports, and other clinical documents contributed by their member organizations.
• Providers connected to any P3N HIO can request clinical data about their patients from any of the P3N HIO clinical data repositories with information about that patient and can receive notices when their patients are admitted to hospitals or emergency departments throughout the state.

This access to information is critical for ensuring providers have the most complete information about the patients they care for in ordinary times and now even more so to coordinate patient care during this COVID-19 pandemic. Check these tools and resources for the health IT and clinical community related to COVID-19 and get more information on health information exchange in Pennsylvania.

The PA Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Program wants to remind health centers that funding through the Promoting Interoperability Program (previously known as the Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program) has three program years remaining — 2019, 2020 and 2021. The PI Program does not end until Dec. 31, 2021. As long as you have participated In the PA Medicaid PI Program in a prior year (providers are permitted to skip a year and participate in subsequent years), staff would be happy to assist you in determining if you qualify to meet Patient Volume and Stage 3 Meaningful Use requirements for the two current open program years 2019 and 2020. Important dates to remember: the PY 2019 application deadline is May 31, 2020 and the PY 2020 application deadline is March 31, 2021. Please note you will be unable to begin a PY2020 application until your PY 2019 application has been finished. Questions, please reach out to RA-mahealthit@pa.gov.

Retaining furloughed employees is critical to the future of your organization. Here are some ideas to help employers, human resource professionals and employees successfully stay engaged and navigate reentry to the workforce. Communication is key. Employers and HR could build dedicated support websites or webpages to keep furloughed employees informed. Another tip is exploring social media and using it to create open forums and discussions between employers and furloughed staff. Employers and HR professionals can also nominate an employee to function as an ambassador to offer additional support. Employers and HR professionals should continue to offer resources that focus on the health and wellbeing of all employees. Employers can also take advantage of this time to optimize your remote-work platforms. Retooling your remote platforms can enable furloughed employees to connect through mobile devices. A solid plan to reengage furloughed employees can offer stability during these uncertain times. This short synopsis was based on a unily.com article for tips to help furloughed employees reenter.