Bizzell on the Front Line of the COVID-19 Response in Africa

Bizzell on the Front Line of the COVID-19 Response in Africa

The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is on the front line of the COVID-19 response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), supporting essential Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) services through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the DRC Ministry of Health COVID-19 operations. Bizzell transports doctors, test kits, personal protective equipment, and samples to and from the labs and between the eight health zones in Kinshasa, including Kalamu, Kimbaseke, Ndjili, Masina, Lingwala, Gombe, Selembao and Bumbu.

Bizzell has also continued support of IPC services in Goma, including supervised decontamination activities following newly reported COVID-19 cases in the Karisimbi health zone. In addition, continued work focuses on the Majengo neighborhood in Goma, the origin of all the new COVID-19 cases in the area. The team is reinforcing infection prevention and surveillance capacities in the community so that they will be able to detect cases and deliver effective, high-quality IPC.

Conditions can be challenging for global public health responders, such as during recent demonstrations by the people of the Majengo neighborhood. Throughout the evolution of the novel coronavirus, Bizzell remains committed to listening to community issues, and to partnering with local, national, and international groups to actively improve health outcomes for all individuals and communities affected by COVID-19.

The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) was founded by CEO Anton Bizzell, M.D., a family physician and a global health, public health, and substance use disorders expert and former Medical Officer at National Institutes of Health (NIH). Our recent work includes systematic, integrated approaches designed to effect lasting change in the field of global health, through projects with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Learn more about how Bizzell advances data-driven, research-informed, innovative solutions to solve complex, real-world challenges. www.BizzellUS.com  

Bizzell Supports CMS COVID-19 National Nursing Home Training Series

Bizzell Supports CMS COVID-19 National Nursing Home Training Series

The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital role of infection prevention, particularly in nursing homes. A dedicated infection preventionist role within long-term care (LTC) settings is now a regulatory mandate. However, infection prevention personnel and supplies are strained due to the demands of COVID-19 control and mitigation.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has partnered with the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program to present a series of trainings on infection prevention issues tailored specifically to nursing homes. The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is proud to work with CMS and the QIO Program to facilitate this training, focused on protecting vulnerable nursing home residents and promoting patient safety throughout these unprecedented public health challenges.

The National Nursing Home Training Series weekly live webcast is open to health care providers and to the public. Initial trainings included: Implementation Strategies for COVID-19 Surveillance and Early Detection; Cohorting: Effective Management of Residents and Staff; and Clinical Care: Managing COVID-Positive Residents.

The Bizzell Group (Bizzell), as the Data Validation & Administrative Contractor (DVAC) facilitates cross-network collaboration, data analysis, learning and support for the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC) program for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Bizzell is committed to data-driven, research-informed, innovative solutions that improve health and public health outcomes across the nation and around the globe, through CMS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Learn more at: https://BizzellUS.com.

Bizzell Supports NIDA in the Launch of Innovative Learning Tools to Help Manage Opioid Treatment

Bizzell Supports NIDA in the Launch of Innovative Learning Tools to Help Manage Opioid Treatment

In conjunction with the National Institute on Drug Abuse-Clinical Trials Network (NIDA-CTN), Bizzell announces the availability of three educational videos for healthcare providers managing opioid use disorder (OUD). The first two videos are animations that discuss overdose prevention. The third video is an interactive tool used to educate healthcare providers on OUD in an emergency setting.

Video 1Overdose Prevention Education for Clinicians Treating Patients with Opioids for Chronic Pain is an animated video that focuses on four key strategies: Reducing Risk for Development of OUD and Avoidance of Misuse, Identification of Risk Factors, Safety Planning, and Overdose Rescue Preparation.

Video 2: Overdose Prevention Education for Clinicians Treating Patients for an Opioid Use Disorder is an animated video that highlights three key strategies: Identifying Overdose Risk Factors, Developing a Safety Plan, and Overdose Rescue Preparation.

“These teachings are done in a simple, non-judgmental fashion offering the viewer clear and memorable points in assessing and managing opioid overdoses,” says Douglas L. Gourlay, M.D., MSc., FRCPC, FASAM, Former Director of the Pain and Chemical Dependency division of the Wasser Pain Management Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, a reviewer of the video.

Video 3:  Buprenorphine Initiation for Opioid Use Disorders in Emergency Departments: Interactive Case Vignettes is a branching video, which is an interactive educational tool. It allows participants to select a healthcare track which results in varying outcomes. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is providing Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit and access to the tool will require the creation of a free ACEP account. Throughout the course, guidance is provided on the clinical management of OUD with a focus on screening, enlisting the patient’s input into their treatment, buprenorphine initiation, and referral to ongoing treatment.

After watching these videos, participants will be able to apply a patient-centered, shared decision-making approach while discussing the prevalence of overdose and the process of introducing buprenorphine in the ED for treatment of OUD. Participants will also be able to discuss chances for recovery as research suggests that patients are twice as likely to enter addiction treatment and remain in treatment at 30 days if medication is initiated in the ED.

The targeted audiences for the buprenorphine initiation video include: Emergency Physicians, Emergency Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Residents, Medical Students, Physician Assistants, Emergency Department Medical Directors, Hospital Administrators, EMTs/Paramedics, and other healthcare providers engaged in the practice of emergency medicine.

“This branching video effectively and quickly walks users through the most high-yield information in the most engaging way possible. Providers around the country should see this video before their next shift caring for patients with opioid addiction,” says video reviewer, Alister Martin MD, MPP, Faculty – Center for Social Justice and Health Equity, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital Emergency Department.

All of the above mentioned videos were funded in part with federal funds from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Center for the Clinical Trials Network Dissemination Initiative (contract # HHSN271201700059C). The content for the videos was developed by researchers and experts and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. These training resources should not be considered as a substitute for individualized patient care and treatment decisions.

  • This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the American College of Emergency Physicians, NIDA, The Bizzell Group, and Modern Epic. The American College of Emergency Physicians is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • The  American College of Emergency Physicians designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate .with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • Approved by the American College of Emergency Physicians for 1 hour of ACEP Category I credit.

ABOUT BIZZELL

Established in 2010, The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) certified strategy, consulting, and technology firm that specializes in program management, administrative support, communications and outreach, conference management and logistical support, health services and research, technical assistance, and training and development. Bizzell’s expert staff and consultants work on health, scientific, education, environmental, research, and information technology projects that advance national priorities. Under the leadership and vision of founder, Anton C. Bizzell, MD, the company has grown from a staff of two in one small office, to a thriving firm with three offices in Lanham, MD, Rockville, MD, and Atlanta, GA, with ongoing projects around the world. Learn more about how we develop data- driven, research-informed, innovative solutions to complex-real-world challenges: www.BizzellUS.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE (NIDA)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs and information on   NIDA research and   other   activities   can be found at www.drugabuse.gov, which is now compatible with your smartphone, iPad or tablet. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA’s DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877- NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or email requests to drugpubs@nida.nih.gov. Online ordering is available at drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. NIDA’s media guide can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/publications/media-guide/dear-journalist.

Bizzell Supports Development of CMS Nursing Home Toolkit to Combat COVID-19

Bizzell Supports Development of CMS Nursing Home Toolkit to Combat COVID-19

The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) supported the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the development and release of the Toolkit on State Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 Prevalence in Nursing Homes. The toolkit is designed to facilitate efforts to manage the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nursing homes, and includes strategies, best practices, and resources to assist long-term care facilities with disease control and prevention, gaining access to personal protective equipment (PPE), managing the transfer of patients, implementing protocols around visitation and staffing, and more.

Bizzell assisted CMS by facilitating the coordination, organization, design, editing, and 508 compliance remediation of the toolkit. Content for the toolkit was curated by a number of experts, including health care providers, Governors’ COVID-19 tasks forces, associations, community partners, and the 12 Quality Innovative Network-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs).

In addition to nursing homes, the toolkit was distributed to Governors, health departments, and other agencies and facilities that serve elderly populations at the local and state levels. Learn more about the toolkit here: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-issues-nursing-homes-best-practices-toolkit-combat-covid-19

This work is in support of the CMS Data Validation and Administrative Contract (DVAC), in which Bizzell was selected to lead and evaluate the improvement of quality healthcare programsincluding nursing home care.