OHA recognizes that communities of color and disabled communities are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, and without collection and reporting of REALD data for COVID-19 encounters these inequities cannot be adequately tracked and measured. The state’s response to mitigating the spread and health impacts of COVID-19 for the purpose of service provision, including but not limited to: testing, education, outreach, wrap services and vaccine distribution will continue to be impaired if it does not have reliable REALD data. 

The following healthcare providers are and will Page 1 of 4 continue to be subject to the REALD collection and reporting requirements: 

• Hospitals
• Healthcare providers within a health system
• Healthcare providers working in federally qualified health centers (FQHC)
• Healthcare facilities
• Healthcare providers working in congregate settings
  

Click here to reach the actual text of the update for your reading pleasure.

They are reviewing potential changes to the way data is collected - no details yet but my fingers are crossed that they'll come up with a way that doesn't require so much staff interaction at the clinic while trying to see patients.  In the meantime we'll continue to try and figure out how we can actually make this happen before the end of the year.  Who knows!  Maybe COVID will be gone by then!  Yep.  Optimist.....at least some of the time.