Daily COVID-19 Email Update - April 24, 2020

A Message from Adrianne Drollette, NCOS Executive Director



Survey of Nationwide Pandemic Impact on Optometry Practices

The AOA Health Policy Institute seeks your input to demonstrate how practices have been impacted through this pandemic and collect evidence regarding how doctors of optometry maintained accessibility throughout the pandemic, providing essential urgent and emergency patient care.

The survey, linked below, should only take 5 minutes to complete.


PPE Survey

We are working to identify sources for our members to purchase PPE directly. To help us with our efforts please complete the survey linked below.


SBA Loan Information

A few members thought it would be helpful to know how many NCOS member practices have applied for either a PPP loan or an EIDL loan and have received approval. Please complete the anonymous survey below to help us gather this information.


AOA Patient Care Guidance to Doctors of Optometry on Coronavirus/COVID-19 Crisis

As doctors of optometry prepare to resume delivery of complete, comprehensive eye health and vision care under a new phase of the nation's continuing COVID-19 pandemic response, the AOA recommends that clinical judgment and practice operations should be informed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reopening guidance of April 19 and the Opening Up America Again plan, as well as all state, state board and local health directives.

Click here to read more.


#AskAOA Webinar on Optometry Practice Reopenings

The current COVID-19 public health emergency continues to create challenges and uncertainties for many doctors of optometry, but AOA remains committed to relaying actionable, timely information and guidance that doctors need to know immediately. The latest installment in the #AskAOA Webinar Series will provide doctors with direction and insights to help them plan for reactivating optometry practices in the near future.

What: #AskAOA Webinar: Practice Reopening Guidance
When: 9 p.m. ET, Wednesday, April 29

Register here.


NCOS and AOA Membership Dues Waiver

To help provide immediate financial relief for all members, the NCOS and AOA have committed to waiving two months of 2020 dues

Click here to view the message sent out to all members on April 9th. It provides complete details about how the waivers will be processed. 

If you wish to forgo your NCOS and/or AOA dues waiver, you can let us know by replying to this email.


NCDHHS on Governor Roy Cooper's Press Release

Governor Cooper extended North Carolina's Stay At Home order through May 8. The Governor shared details about North Carolina's plan to lift restrictions in three phases once the data show that key metrics are headed in the right direction. 

Our state has taken aggressive action to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. Those actions combined with North Carolinians' resolve to stay home to protect their loved ones have put our state on the right path. If we stick to these efforts now, we will continue to see a slowing of virus spread and we can slowly begin easing restrictions.

Secretary Mandy Cohen provided detailed look at where North Carolina stands on metrics on testing, tracing and trends and outlined the progress needed to begin lifting restrictions.

Click here to review the presentation.


Office of Civil Rights HIPAA during COVID-19 Webinar Summary

Be sure to visit the Office of Civil Rights FAQ page to get updates on the COVID-19 HIPAA guidance. While the HIPAA rules all still apply, the OCR has agreed not to apply penalties, IF telehealth is provided with REASONABLE efforts to safeguard patient privacy. This webinar reviewing the guidance will be available sometime early next week. Current Business Agreement requirements still hold.

Among the penalty leniency granted during COVID-19, is the ability to provide telehealth via a private-facing, audio-visual application such as Facetime, Skype or Zoom.

Keep in mind that HIPAA rules always allow for certain disclosures for Patient Protected Health Information. The minimum necessary release rules always apply:

  1. Release of PHI for treatment
  2. Notifications required by law for Public Health
  3. Public Health situations where control of disease spread is at stake
  4. Emergency First Responder can receive information to prevent infections and provide care
  5. Prevent or lessen any serious or imminent threats (like psychiatric patient threatening to harm another)

Ward and Smith, P.A. - The PPP and Health Care Enhancement Act of 2020

"The $484 billion PPP Act has been enacted with the goal of replenishing the PPP with approximately $310 billion in additional funds, increasing availability of Emergency Economic Injury Disaster ("EIDL") Grants, and providing federal funding to assist hospitals and healthcare providers. This second round of PPP loans may end up distributed even faster than the first round since thousands of applications had been submitted to lenders by the time the first round of funds had been depleted. Sixty billion dollars of the new PPP funds will be specifically set aside for small, medium, and community lenders to distribute."

Click here to read more.


Personal Consultations from Ward and Smith, P.A.

Ward and Smith, P.A. is offeing NCOS members a flat-fee personal consultation with Ken Gray (or another, experienced member of their Labor and Employment team). Pending a conflicts check and the completion of a short form, they would schedule a one-hour time slot for members to have a one-on-one discussion and Q&A session. The flat fee for this consultation is $400.

Click here to learn more!


NC Stockpile of Personal Protective Equipment

You can find information about obtaining PPE for your office if you cannot privately source it, by clicking here
The state stock pile currently does not have enough N-95 masks or gowns but does have other PPE supplies.



Long-term PPE Resources from AOAExcel

The urgent nationwide shortage of supplies of PPE for frontline, essential care providers, including doctors of optometry, is placing America's health care workforce and the public at further risk. The AOA is among the leading national health care organizations actively urging the president, congress and equipment suppliers to immediately focus on and fix this dire situation.

DURING THE NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE: Due to the efforts of states, localities and public health organizations, and through federal prioritization and targeting efforts, PPE supplies are being directed to outbreak hotspots and potential future hotspots. Doctors are advised to explore current availability of quality PPE through state and local agencies as well as other immediate term sources.

NEXT STEPS FOR SECURING PPE FOR OPTOMETRY PRACTICES: Looking beyond the current nationwide shortage, AOA doctors are advised that AOAExcel's (www.ExcelOD.com) exclusive group purchasing organization (GPO) partner, Intalere, is positioned to gain assured, long-term access to steady supplies of hospital-grade, quality controlled PPE at competitive pricing. This is an AOA member benefit.

  • For doctors/practices already enrolled in AOAExcel's GPO program: You may directly contact Intalere's Operational Continuity & Emergency Management team at 877-711-5600 for the latest information on PPE availability and access. (Intalere member number is required. If not known, it can be accessed by contacting the AOAExcel team at [email protected]).
  • For doctors/practices not yet enrolled in AOAExcel's GPO program: Click here to provide basic registration information. The enrollment process will be completed within four business days. To get started or for other assistance, contact the AOAExcel team at [email protected].

Hard of Hearing Resources During COVID-19

The NCDHHS has released hearing loss resources on their website that can be found here.

The below image provides guidelines for healthcare providers to use during the Coronavirus pandemic.


New Resources

COVID-19 Testing: Possibilities, Challenges, and Ensuring Equity Webinar (4/22/20)

Highlights From the New York Times (4/22/20)

First US COVID-19 Death Occurred in Early February (4/22/20)

Medscape: In Pursuit of Real Coronavirus Numbers (4/19/20)

Navigating the Return of Employees to the Workplace (4/15/20)


COVID-19 Statistics

NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard

Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center 

WorldoMeter Coronavirus Website