Month: March 2023

Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories

March is Women’s History Month, and celebrates the vital role of women in American history. Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed a bill which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. Learn more about Women’s History Month and this year’s theme at nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org.

Other notable celebrations in the month of March include…

-Irish American Heritage Month

-National Nutrition Month

-National Kidney Month

-National Optimism Month

“March is named after Mars, the Roman god of war.”

Learn more about the history of previous months here.

OHA Announces End to Universal Masking Requirement in Health Care Settings, Effective April 3

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced today that it will end its universal masking requirement for health care settings, which includes all licensed long term care settings, on April 3. Oregon’s policy change will occur in concert with similar changes in other states, including Washington.  It is expected that masking will still be required during specified outbreaks. Detailed guidance will be determined by OHA and the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and will be shared soon. Visit the Oregon Health Care Association website for all updates. OHCA has advocated on behalf of members with the Governor’s office, OHA, and ODHS to move away from universal masking policies. Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction for providers, caregivers, residents, and their families as we move away from pandemic-era policies and restrictions. OHCA is continuing conversations with state regulators regarding modifications to other COVID-19 protocols. We will keep members informed of any updates. Please note, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) still expects nursing facilities to follow core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention including guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Per QSO-20-39-NH, everyone in a nursing facility should wear face coverings or masks if the nursing facility’s county COVID-19 community transmission is high. If the nursing facility’s county COVID-19 community transmission is not high and there is no outbreak, the facility’s policies on masking should be based on recommendations from the CDC, state, and local health departments as well as the individual facility’s circumstances. It is important to remember CDC’s community transmission level is the metric used by CDC to guide health care settings, not CDC’s COVID-19 community level. A facility choosing to set their own mask policies should continue to take into account the need to accommodate medical and religious exemptions. Stay up to date on all health care news and CareAvailability growth by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.