DBHDS: COVID-19 Surveillance and Testing at State Facilities (November 1, 2021)

Summary

A November 1, 2021 memo from Alison G. Land, FACHE, Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services, to the Honorable Janet D. Howell and the Honorable Luke E. Torian regarding Item 326 E of the Appropriations Act and COVID-19 surveillance and testing at state facilities. It states that Item 326 E provides $2,142,601 in FY 2022 and $4,282,202 in FY 2023 for surveillance and testing costs. It reports that 8,131 COVID-19 tests were administered at DBHDS state facilities during the first quarter of FY 22, not funded from 326E, compared with 9,687 in the last quarter of FY 21. It also states that a memorandum of agreement with the Virginia Department of Health was signed in October.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

                                    COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA
ALISON G. LAND, FACHE                                 DEPARTMENT OF                                           Telephone (804) 786-3921
    COMMISSIONER                                                                                                 Fax (804) 371-6638
                                       BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES                            www.dbhds.virginia.gov
                                                           Post Office Box 1797
                                                      Richmond, Virginia 23218-1797


                                                   Monday, November 1, 2021
             To: The Honorable Janet D. Howell, Chair, Senate Finance Committee & The Honorable Luke
             E. Torian, Chair, House Appropriations Committee
             From: Alison G. Land, FACHE, Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health &
             Developmental Services
             RE: Item 326 E of the 2021 Appropriations Act regarding COVID-19 surveillance and testing at
             state facilities


             Background
             Item 326 E of the 2021 Appropriations Act provides for $2,142,601 in FY 2022 and $4,282,202
             in FY 2023 for surveillance and testing costs for the patients and staff to manages COVID-19
             outbreaks at state facilities. The language states:

                        Out of this appropriation, $2,142,601 the first year and $4,282,202 the second year from
                        non-general funds is provided for the surveillance and testing costs of residents and staff
                        in order to avoid and manage COVID-19 outbreaks at state facilities. The department
                        shall coordinate with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and local health districts
                        as appropriate to coordinate its testing and surveillance activities in order to access
                        federal ELC Enhancing Detection Expansion grant funding provided to VDH through the
                        Centers for Disease Control. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental
                        Services shall report quarterly to the Secretary of Finance and the Chairmen of the
                        House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees on the
                        expense of these funds, including the number of tests administered.
             COVID-19 testing has been conducted at all Department of Behavioral Health and
             Developmental Services (DBHDS) facilities based on plans coordinated with the Virginia
             Department of Health (VDH) since the onset of the pandemic in 2021. The testing protocols have
             varied depending on the rate of infections within each facility and the input of the local health
             departments serving the area where the facility is located. In facilities that have experienced
             outbreaks, this testing has occurred as frequently as twice per week for all individuals receiving



                                                                                                                    1
services as well as all staff who might come into contact with a potentially COVID-positive
individual.
During the past year, there have been periods of time during COVID-19 outbreaks at individual
facilities that led to the local health departments to recommend halting admissions to facilities
experiencing these outbreaks for periods of time from fourteen to twenty eight days, depending
on the type of individuals that the particular facility serves. Where these plans have been
enacted, admissions have been restarted at facilities after the agreed-upon period of quarantine
has elapsed. During these periods of quarantine, testing has been conducted more frequently and
has, at times, been required of all patients as well as direct care staff. Currently, there are no state
facilities that have closures to admissions due to COVID-19.
In accordance with The Governor’s Executive Directive #18, all employees of the DBHDS in
state facilities who have not been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 have begun receiving testing
on a weekly basis. This has recently increased the amount of and expenditures for testing. At the
current time, 27 percent of the employees at the state facilities have not received full vaccination
status and are, therefore, required to obtain weekly testing.
The number of COVID-19 tests administered at DBHDS state facilities during the first quarter of
FY 22 was 8,131 although, as explained below, these were not funded from 326E. This
represents a decrease from the last quarter of FY 21 when 9,687 were administered.
Current Status of 326.E Appropriations
The federal ELC Enhancing Detection Expansion grant was awarded in August 2021 to the
Virginia Department of Health (VDH). To receive these federal funds from VDH, DBHDS needs
to be a sub-recipient. DBHDS has worked with VDH to establish a memorandum of agreement
(MOA) to create the required relationship and the structure to meet federal sub-recipient
guidelines required by the grant. This MOA was signed in October. These funds will be
distributed on a monthly basis to DBHDS as the grant is on a reimbursement basis. At this time
there are no expensed dollars related to the dollars agreed to by VDH in the MOA. Additionally,
there have been no COVID-19 testing materials that have been obtained or administered through
the use of these funds during the past quarter. This should begin during the current quarter, and a
full report will be provided in early 2022.




                                                                                                       2


File and source

File

2021-RD601.pdf

Size

123,175 bytes

SHA-256

5d652fe9bea916681719037868b2c9fd0ac5ef2346f77fd8b23a8a195b6b13fb

Our copy

2021-RD601.pdf

Original

No public link identified.