AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network

Supported by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Project ECHO is launching a National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network (the Network).

We are actively recruiting nursing homes and training centers around the country to join this interactive community of practice to collaboratively advance improvements in COVID-19 preparedness, safety, and infection control.

The Problem

• It is estimated that almost 50,000 nursing home residents and staff have died from COVID-19, representing nearly one-quarter of the nation’s known COVID-19 deaths.
• Nursing home residents are especially vulnerable due to their age, their underlying frailty, and their communal living conditions.
• Nursing home staff members who care for our seniors are among the most needed and most at-risk essential workers.

The Goal

The AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network aims to rapidly assist nursing homes in consistently implementing evidence-based best practices to protect residents and staff. The goals of the Network are to help nursing homes:

1. Keep SARS-COV-2 from entering nursing homes where it has not already entered.
2. Early identification of residents and staff who have been infected with SARS-COV-2.
3. Prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2 between staff, residents, and visitors.
4. Provide safe and appropriate care to residents with mild and asymptomatic cases of SARS-COV-2.
5. Ensure staff have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement best-practice safety measures to protect residents and themselves.
6. Reduce social isolation for residents, families, and staff during these difficult times.