If you are still preparing for a major onslaught of suspected COVID-19 patients, review your plans against the strategies hospitals already have employed to deal with supply and personnel challenges, as outlined in an HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) report released Monday.

The sweeping "Hospitals Without Walls" initiative take effect immediately and allows hospitals to bill Medicare for services in unconventional settings.

Healthcare facilities and public health officials now must inform emergency responders when they have been exposed to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

While the primary focus of telehealth during these early days of the coronavirus public health crisis has been on screening COVID-19 patients and treating those who can manage their symptoms at home, there are four ways this form of care can help hospitals and healthcare systems address the issues that the pandemic has created.

If you are expecting a survey from your accreditation organization (AO) in the upcoming weeks and months, check in with your liaison. All four hospital AOs have suspending most or all survey activities during the national emergency to deal with COVID-19.

Not only are hospitals grappling with trying to find N95 medical masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) as the supply chain rushes to keep up with the spread of the pandemic, but facilities are still seeing supplies disappear.

Some hospitals have reported people driving up to a building, walking in with a large drinking cup, and filling it up with alcohol-based hand rub before leaving, says Nicolette A. Louissaint, PhD, executive director of Healthcare Ready.

As you’ve already witnessed, information during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic comes rapidly and keeps changing.

As policies get written and rewritten, ensure that you have the latest guidance available from CDC, CMS, and other authorities.

Many hospitals and other facilities have been dealing with an overflow of patients since March, while other have been preparing for an immediate future of uncertainty and fear as the virus spreads.

That includes being inundated by information from federal agencies, including CMS, CDC, FDA and other agencies with updated guidance and regulatory changes to help the healthcare industry meet the national emergency.