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Latest News

Latest News

From the Desk of the CEO: Celebrating National Nursing Assistants Week

June 21, 2022

“I entered skilled nursing as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). During this role, I developed love and compassion for the elderly. It gave me an opportunity to learn who each of these people were, hear their stories, and listen to the words of wisdom they often imparted to me. They encouraged me to continue to grow and make a difference in long-term care. As I continued in my healthcare journey, there were various leaders who believed in me and continued to provide opportunities and experiences. I continued to grow from one role to the next all while expanding my education of the field. I am thankful for each role that I’ve held through the years. Each member of the nursing team is important and needed, but the role of a CNA is invaluable. They are the backbone of the long-term care industry. They are often the unsung heroes that become more like family to a Resident than a caregiver. We honor and give gratitude to those CNA’s that answer the call every single day and make unmeasurable impact.”

CEO, Bernie McGuinness

Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

June 20, 2022

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are messenger RNA vaccines, also called mRNA vaccines. Learn more about Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, including who can get them, doses, and ingredients.

How mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Work

To trigger an immune response, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies. Not mRNA vaccines. Instead, mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what helps protect us from getting sick from that germ in the future.

  1. First, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are given in the upper arm muscle. After vaccination, the mRNA will enter the muscle cells. Once inside, they use the cells’ machinery to produce a harmless piece of what is called the spike protein. The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. After the protein piece is made, our cells break down the mRNA and remove it.
  2. Next, our cells display the spike protein piece on their surface. Our immune system recognizes that the protein does not belong there. This triggers our immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. This is what your body might do if you got sick with COVID-19.
  3. At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to help protect against future infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The benefit is that people get this protection from a vaccine, without ever having to risk the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19. Any side effects from getting the vaccine are normal signs the body is building protection.

mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Have Been Rigorously Evaluated for Safety

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been held to the same rigorous safety and effectiveness standards as all other types of vaccines in the United States. The only COVID-19 vaccines the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes available for use in the United States (by approval or emergency use authorization) are those that meet these standards.

While COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly, all steps have been taken to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

mRNA Vaccines Are Newly Available to the Public, but Have Been Studied for Decades

Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. Interest has grown in these vaccines because they can be developed in a laboratory using readily available materials. This means vaccines can be developed and produced in large quantities faster than with other methods for making vaccines.

mRNA vaccines have been studied before for flu, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus (CMV). As soon as the necessary information about the virus that causes COVID-19 was available, scientists began designing the mRNA instructions for cells to build the unique spike protein into an mRNA vaccine.

Future mRNA vaccine technology may allow for one vaccine to provide protection against multiple diseases, thus decreasing the number of shots needed for protection against common vaccine-preventable diseases.

Beyond vaccines, cancer research has used mRNA to trigger the immune system to target specific cancer cells.

To learn more, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html

COVID-19 Vaccines are Free to the Public

June 13, 2022

What You Need to Know

  • COVID-19 vaccines are available for everyone ages 5 years and older at no cost.
  • Vaccines were paid for with taxpayer dollars and will be given free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of insurance or immigration status.
  • COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help stop the pandemic.
  • CDC recommends you get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can.

Be Aware of Scams

If anyone asks you to pay for access to a COVID-19 vaccine, you can bet it’s a scam. Don’t share your personal or financial information if someone calls, texts, or emails you promising access to a vaccine for an extra fee.

COVID-19 vaccination providers cannot:

  • Charge you for a vaccine
  • Charge you directly for any administration fees, copays, or coinsurance
  • Deny vaccination to anyone who does not have health insurance coverage, is underinsured, or is out of network
  • Charge an office visit or other fee to the recipient if the only service provided is a COVID-19 vaccination
  • Require additional services in order for a person to receive a COVID-19 vaccine; however, additional healthcare services can be provided at the same time and billed as appropriate

COVID-19 vaccination providers can:

  • Seek appropriate reimbursement from the recipient’s plan or program (e.g., private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid) for a vaccine administration fee
    • However, providers cannot charge the vaccine recipient the balance of the bill.

Anyone in the United States Can Get Vaccinated

The federal government is providing vaccines free of charge to everyone 5 years and older living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status.

CDC does not require U.S. citizenship for individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Jurisdictions (state, tribal, local, and territorial) cannot add U.S. citizenship requirements or require U.S. citizenship verification as a requirement for vaccination.

To learn more, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/no-cost.html