​​HCAOA’s newest Associate Member, the National Institute for Home Care Accreditation, Inc. (NIHCA) is a national accrediting organization that is focused on promoting competence, professionalism, and ethics to ensure the public trust.  This is accomplished by setting standards and qualifications for the delivery of safe essential private duty home care services.  The accreditation process strengthens the provider’s credibility and reputation as an accredited organization and makes identifying safe, trusted, and competent care easy.  

​The Home Health Services Association of New Jersey (HHSANJ) has joined HCAOA as a State Chapter. HHSANJ has worked to address the needs of New Jersey’s health care service firms, including private pay and Medicaid providers. 

​Last week, the New Jersey Department of Health announced a partnership with Rite Aid to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to home care and hospice staff. Rite Aid will provide end-to-end management of the process, including cold chain management, on-site vaccinations, and fulfillment of reporting requirements, to facilitate safe vaccination of these healthcare workers. 

Effective last week, all employers operating in New Jersey are required to comply with a number of COVID-19-related mandatory health and safety standards. With the signing of Executive Order 192 (EO192), Gov. Phil Murphy consolidated a hodgepodge of requirements directed at specific industries (e.g., construction, manufacturing, retail) and guidance documents, and placed all New Jersey employers on notice, regardless of industry, that they will be required to institute and enforce COVID-19 safety protocols.