Lawmakers Study Impact of COVID-19 on KY Vets
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2020 August PUBLISHED BY LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH COMMISSION Volume 33, No. 4 LEGISLATURE.KY.GOV/LEGISLATION/PAGES/DEFAULT.ASPX Lawmakers study impact of COVID-19 on KY vets by Jim Hannah LRC Public Information FRANKFORT – Th ere have been no reported cases of coronavirus among the residents of Kentucky’s four veterans homes, according to testimony given to a state legislative panel. “Since the declaration of the emergency in March, we have had seven staff test positive, two of which, aft er immediate retesting were found to be negative,” Kentucky Department of Veterans Aff airs Commissioner Keith Jackson said while testifying on July 29 to the Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Aff airs and Public Protection. “Out of those employees, fi ve have returned to work, one remains in quarantine until medically cleared and one staff member resigned prior to returning to work.” Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, asked about the turn-around time for a test result. Mark Bowman, another department member who testifi ed, said it now takes 24 hours to 48 hours to receive a result. He said early in the pandemic it was Rep. Walker Thomas, R-Hopkinsville, asks about the number of residents of Kentucky’s four veterans taking up to 10 days. homes since COVID-19 forced the facilities to stop accepting new patients. Thomas serves as co-chair of the Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection. Jackson attributed the department’s success of curtailing the spread of COVID-19 in the veterans Th e department is expanding telemedicine with Veterans Aff airs medical centers in Lexington, homes to continuous testing of all staff and residents Louisville and Marion, Ill., to decrease the chances residents might be exposed to COVID-19 during in addition to other aggressive measures. doctor visits. Th e homes have also stopped accepting new residents. Jackson said that had regrettably caused a 7 percent drop in the residential population across the system. “One of the unfortunate by-products of our strenuous screening and protective measures has Th at prompted committee Co-chair Rep. Walker Th omas, R-Hopkinsville, to ask the occupancy of been a restriction on visitation,” Jackson said. each veterans home. Bowman responded that Eastern Kentucky Veterans Center in Hazard had 98 of 120 “However, each facility has found creative ways to beds fi lled, Central Kentucky Veterans Center in Radcliff had 64 of 120 beds fi lled, Western Kentucky help families keep in touch with their loved ones.” Veterans Center in Hanson has 80 of 156 beds fi lled and Th omas-Hood Veterans Center in Wilmore had Th ose include using iPads, phones and plexiglass 145 of 285 beds fi lled. visitation stations. Continued on next page THE KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1 Covid-19 and Ky vets, from page 1 Th e department hopes to resume admissions in late August or early September, but Jackson added that would depend on local infection rates. Jackson said that personal protective equipment remains diffi cult and expensive to secure for his department, but the veterans homes have suffi cient supplies. Th e department has applied for a more than $1 million federal grant to build four warehouses for future emergency preparedness storage. Th e department also received $3 million in April from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Jackson characterized the federal tax dollars as “instrumental” in supporting Kentucky’s four veterans homes. Jackson said his department began off ering free day care for children of the nursing home staff during the disruption of in-person schooling and closure of child care facilities. He added that has helped the department to retain staff , something that has been a challenge in recent years. Department offi cials have said staffi ng shortages have contributed to the low occupancy rates at some of the homes. At least two pieces of legislation have been passed in recent years to address the staffi ng issues. Bowman said one measure passed this past session, known as Senate Bill 149, will ease staff shortages by allowing the department to hire nurse aides on personal service contracts. Researchers advocate for permanent expansion of telehealth services by Jordan Hensley FRANKFORT— Despite COVID-19, researchers from the University of Kentucky have continued their work on studying opioid use disorder. Th ose researchers shared an update on their projects and advocated for permanently expanding some telehealth services during an Aug. 11 presentation to the Substance Use Recovery Task Force. According to Sharon Walsh, director for the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research at the University of Kentucky, the expansion of telehealth services across the Commonwealth during the COVID-19 pandemic is having a positive impact on those recovering from opioid use disorder. “What we’re hearing from partners across the state who are providing care is that their no-show rate for appointments has dropped, in some instances, 30 percent,” Walsh said. Gov. Andy Beshear expanded telehealth services in March to allow physicians to examine patients over the Committee co-chair Rep. Russell Webber, R-Shepherdsville, comments during the Aug. phone or via video conference to cut down on in-person 11 Substance Use Recovery Task Force meeting. interactions to slow the spread of COVID-19. Walsh said prior to this executive order, opioid use disorder treatment was not permitted via telehealth. “One of the things we’re hoping with our state partners is that once COVID is resolved and the demand for telehealth is not so critical as it is right now, that we’re able to keep some of those regulations rolled back as they are right now,” Walsh added. As for the University of Kentucky’s research projects, Walsh and Lisa Cassis, vice president for research for the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, reported that the university’s research projects are going well. Continued on next page 2 2020 Interim LEGISLATIVE RECORD Kentucky was one of four states in the country last year to receive National Institutes of Health funding to prevent and treat opioid use disorder in highly aff ected communities, according to their presentation. Th e Helping to End Addiction Long-term, or HEAL Initiative kicked off in January and focuses on overdose education, naloxone distribution, delivery of medication for opioid use disorder maintenance treatment, and safer opioid prescribing methods and dispensing. Other University of Kentucky-funded research projects underway include harm reduction initiatives to reduce the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C, according to the presentation. Th ere are 73 syringe services programs across the Commonwealth providing clean syringes to those with opioid use disorder. Reusing or sharing syringes can cause a variety of health problems, including HIV and Hepatitis C. According to Walsh, these programs also help connect people to treatment services. Research into prevention as treatment for Hepatitis C is also underway as well as programs to aid mothers with opioid use disorder. Reports reveal child abuse and foster care needs by Jordan Hensley FRANKFORT – Lawmakers on the Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory Committee asked experts what more could be done to help children in abusive situations during the committee’s July 22 meeting. Jill Seyfred, the executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, and Kelly Crane, the state policy specialist for Prevent Child Abuse America, presented the committee updated statistics on child abuse across the Commonwealth and country. Kentucky’s data, which was compiled by the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), showed 50,660 reports of child abuse met the criteria for investigation last year. Th e number of children impacted by those investigations was 76,106. Seyfred said Kentucky’s number remains high, in part, because of mandatory reporting laws and prevention education put in place over the last several years to combat child abuse. She said areas Kentucky could improve on to reduce child abuse included more money for education, families in need of services and social workers. According to the data, neglect has been the top form of child maltreatment in Kentucky for the last several years. Th e data also Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory Committee Co-chair Sen. Tom Buford, showed drug abuse in the home and mental health issues were major R-Nicholasville, comments during the July 22 meeting. factors in child abuse cases. “We know that the No. 1 referral source for abuse and neglect cases comes from teachers,” Seyfred said. “Anytime we can work with teachers and help them understand the issues, understand how to report, help them be more comfortable in that role, I think will be a benefi t.” During a DCBS presentation on foster care within the state, several committee members expressed concern over signifi cantly lower intake numbers for March, April and May of this year compared to last year. Th e impact of COVID-19 closing down schools across Kentucky in March is to blame for the lower intake numbers for those months, according to DCBS data provided to the committee. “Every superintendent and every school board chair and every counselor in every school system in the state should all be aware of this,” Sen. Whitney Westerfi eld, R-Croft on, said. “And they should all be put on notice that this is an issue that needs to be given particular attention as they think about reopening and consider how best to do it. Not just educate students, but make sure they have access to resources to