Thursday, September 29
1:15 PM - 2:45 PM

4.  Lessons to Embrace from the COVID Pandemic

Systemic imperfections have been revealed across the post-acute care continuum during the COVID Pandemic.  Some of them underscored the magnitude and urgency of issues that were already suspected of causing health or safety risks for both residents and caregivers. This interactive session will describe selected opportunities identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services for implementing policies that foster inter-agency and/or regulator-provider collaboration - to the ultimate benefit of long-term care community residents, staff or the families of either.  Which interventions and approaches launched in the tense climate of a public health emergency had the most positive impact?  Which of them deserve consideration as the most promising for us to keep through changes in statute, regulation or practice standards?   

Dr. Nimalie Stone, Medical Epidemiologist for Long-term Care, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Dr. Stone serves as Medical Epidemiologist for Long-term Care in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In her role at CDC, Dr. Stone works to address the needs for infection prevention programs in long-term care. She develops guidelines, educational resources and quality improvement programs to reduce healthcare associated infections and promote antibiotic stewardship in nursing homes.  She is a Board-certified infectious disease physician who has a research and clinical background in managing infections and antibiotic resistant pathogens in post-acute and long-term care settings, and she holds a faculty appointment with Emory University’s Division of Infectious Diseases. 

Keith Knapp, Senior Advisor, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and Associate Clinical Professor, Health Management & Policy in the University of Kentucky's College of Public Health
Keith Knapp serves as Senior Advisor – Adult Programs, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and Associate Clinical Professor, Health Management & Policy in the University of Kentucky's College of Public Health. Dr. Knapp is a former chair of the Leading Age - KY board of directors, and he currently serves on the KY Board of Licensure for Long Term Care Administrators.