COVID-19 update

We recognize the burden our community is under. Many of you are on the front lines of this unfolding crisis caring for people with COVID-19. From all the staff at Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm, thank you for your tireless work during this unprecedented time. We have heard countless stories of hope, community, and compassion from across the health care sector. We are all humbled and inspired by you.

Supporting our health care partners remains our priority. At a time when there are few answers, we welcome you to share your thoughts and challenges so we may begin a dialogue around solutions. We are here to support in any way we can. Please reach out to your member engagement representative or email us directly.

Resources 

Updated Tuesdays and Thursdays each week.

The following list of resources offers ideas and solutions to some of the challenges you may be facing at your facility in managing the COVID-19 crisis. We will regularly update this page with new information. 

Webinar

CleanMed virtual session: Building community health and resilience beyond COVID-19
May 27, 2 p.m. ET: Featuring a diverse range of thought leaders, this virtual session will address a number of challenging questions facing the health care sector.

Resource lists

These resource lists by trusted organizations are updated regularly. 

Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) clinical information to support nurses and health care teams: includes toolkit, guidelines, and other resources

Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) COVID-19 resources for supply chain, see “Key Resources” including PPE supply equivalents and PPR alternative suppliers

Association for Health Care Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM) recommendations on COVID-19 for health care supply chain

Association for the Health Care Environment (AHE) coronavirus environmental services resources

FDA current emergency use authorizations 
Guidance on personal protective equipment including sterilization and reprocessing.

American Hospital Association PPE information and guidance
Information, policies, procedures and best practices around PPEs including supplying from home, decontamination, and reuse. 

Supply chain

CDC

• Strategies for optimizing PPEs 
  Resources for optimizing eye protection, isolation gowns, face masks, and N95 respirators. 
• Checklist for health care facilities: Strategies for optimizing the supply of N95 respirators 
• The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL). Information on COVID and PPE 

FDA

• Ventilator supply mitigation strategies: Letter to health care providers 
• Guidance on production of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to help boost supply, protect public health 

ASPR

• Department of Health and Human Services. ASPR Tracie 2018. Calculator to determine approximate PPE needs for a facility

Infection prevention

OSHA memorandum. Enforcement Guidance on Decontamination of Filtering Facepiece Respirators in Healthcare During the COVID-19 Pandemic

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). Open-access webinars on a variety of COVID-19 topics

National Institutes of Health study validates decontamination methods for re-use of N95 respirators

CDC decontamination and reuse of filtering facepiece respirators using contingency and crisis capacity strategies.
Based on the limited research available, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, vaporous hydrogen peroxide, and moist heat showed the most promise as potential methods to decontaminate respirators.

CDC recommended guidance for extended use and limited reuse of N95 filtering facepiece respirators in healthcare settings 

National Academies Press (NAP) 
Free PDF on reusability of facemasks during an influenza pandemic

National Academies Press (NAP)
Free PDF on reusable elastomeric respirators in health care: Considerations for routine and surge use
 

Cleaning

EPA list of disinfectants for use against COVID-19 
 
CDC infection control guidance 

CDC interim recommendations: Steps for health care professionals to take with patients suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19

Facility management

Six ASHE recommendations for facilities managers during COVID-19 from Health Facilities Management 

Surgical services

AORN environmental services toolkit
Education and guidelines for cleaning in perioperative services

AORN COVID-19 toolkit 
Infection prevention and supply usage recommendations for perioperative services

Food 

How hospitals can address community food insecurity 
Copia coordinates the donation of food from hospitals to nonprofit food pantries and food banks. Listen to a recording of a Q&A session hosted by Copia to learn how to get started with food rescue and donation at your facility. To get started, contact Kimberly Smith. Questions? Contact Lucia Sayre.

Food for the front-line health care workers
Delivering free meals to hospitals and other COVID-19 relief sites (schools, senior centers, etc.) Hospitals in Washington D.C. area, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago or Houston can fill out this form to request deliveries.

Chefs for America effort to provide meals to people impacted by COVID-19
A coordinated effort among chefs, restaurants, tech companies, and volunteers to serve meals to health care workers, children, families, and seniors.

Regional producers offer access to fresh, healthy food. These buyer-producer matching lists will help identify products for your food service.

• Farm to Institution New England
• Community Health Improvement Partners Farm to Institution Center, San Diego
• California statewide resources list from Community Alliance for Family Farms
• University of Colorado Food Systems

Waste

CDC COVID-19 frequently asked infection prevention and waste management questions 

Health Care waste management: Coronavirus update
The latest information and recommendations on how to address waste management in a coronavirus context from Health Care Without Harm experts.

Personnel and personnel training

The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health is conducting a survey open to all health care workers who have been exposed to or infected by the COVID-19 virus. They hope to use the data to help prevent infections among health care workers.

National Institutes of Health COVID-19 training for health care workers

If you have suggested resources for this page, please contact us.

Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm, and Greenhealth Management are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of the information provided. The information was obtained from third parties and was not developed by Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm, or Greenhealth Management. Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm, and Greenhealth Management are providing this information for informational purposes only. Any use of the information is at the user’s own risk.