Attention Providers: New Guidelines for the management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO) in Healthcare Settings has been released by the CDC. The link for this Guideline may be found on the DHMH Epidemiology and Disease Control Programs web site: http://www.edcp.org/html/mdro.html

Grants from Health Care Quality Account

Applications for grants from the Health Care Quality Account (COMAR 10.07.02.60) are currently being accepted for this fiscal year. To be considered, applications must be received for review by either May 20, 2008 or October 1, 2008. Although grant amounts will depend upon the number of successful applications received, it is anticipated that a typical single grant from the Health Care Quality Account will range from $5,000 to $40,000. Submit applications to the attention of Wendy Kronmiller, Director, OHCQ. Grants will be submitted in the following form and evaluated for the following criteria:

• Background information concerning the person(s) or organization requesting the grant.
• Description of the scope of the project and explanation of how the grant would improve the quality of care of nursing home residents.
  
• Description of measures that will be used to quantitatively analyze the impact of the project.
• Timeline and dates by which each phase of the project will be completed and the projected completion date for the entire project.
• Project cost, including a specific breakdown of expenses.
• Quarterly reporting to the OHCQ on the status of the project and the date by which a final report will be submitted.
• Please note that OHCQ is most interested in funding projects that potentially can positively affect the largest number of nursing home residents. Also, OHCQ is most interested in granting funds to projects on a one-time basis without the need for additional funding to continue the project.
• Send grant proposals to Wendy Kronmiller, Director, Office of Health Care Quality, Spring Grove Center, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville MD 21228.

All State regulations are available on-line. To locate regulations, you may search by subject or the regulation citation if you know the COMAR (Code of Maryland Regulations) cite.

Hint: Each regulation within a regulation chapter is a separate retrievable document. For example, under the COMAR 10.07.14 chapter, there are 53 regulations on specific topics. You may retrieve and print any of the 53 specific regulations to suit your information needs.

Regulations on-line are found on the Maryland Division of State Document’s web site, http://www.dsd.state.md.us.

You may still contact the Office of Health Care Quality to obtain regulation booklets for all licensure programs that are regulated by OHCQ.

Click here for more information.

OHCQ monitors licensed community-based health care providers and licensed health care facilities to ensure that they comply with regulations and standards concerning quality of care.

A community-based provider or health care facility may need to meet other business-oriented State regulatory requirements in order to do business in Maryland, i.e. some health care facilities must obtain a Certificate of Need from the Maryland Health Care Commission before OHCQ can issue an operating license.

If you are considering starting a health care business in Maryland, information on all State licensure or certification requirements can be found on Maryland’s Business License Information System (BLIS).

Click here for information from Maryland’s Business License Information System (BLIS).

Click here for quality of care standards.

OHCQ Surveyors from the Nursing Home Technical Assistance Unit will be using a new survey tool that focuses on Patient Safety.

Click here to download the survey form.

State regulations often cite State laws. For your convenience, full text of Maryland laws are available online at the General Assembly website, www.mlis.state.md.us.

On the MLIS website, under the subject heading, “Everything Else”, click on Maryland Code On Line to link to the Michie/Lexis website.
Select Maryland Code.
Select Next document.
Select the subject of your search to retrieve the appropriate “Annotated Code of Maryland” law volume.
Continue to narrow your search by selecting appropriate subjects until you find the desired section of the law.