Congratulations Dallas Taylor, Director of Nursing

Dallas Taylor, RN, Director of Nursing at Eliza Bryant Village, is one of 25 leaders selected to serve in a leadership role on the independent Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. MITRE, an independent, not-for-profit organization, made by the announcement on Friday, June 19, 2020. The commission members include resident advocates, infectious disease experts, directors and administrators of nursing homes, academicians, state authorities, clinicians, a medical ethicist, and a nursing home resident. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the formation of the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes on May 14. MITRE is standing up the commission and facilitating its activities and will independently author and deliver a report on the commission’s findings and recommendations to CMS on September 1. Dr. Jay J. Schnitzer, MITRE’s chief medical and technology officer, will serve as the moderator of the commission. “The commission members are leaders who bring decades of experience in nursing home management as well as safety and quality,” said Schnitzer. “This diverse group will act quickly to identify and communicate best practices for protecting nursing home residents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.” The commission members were chosen from more than 800 applications through a rigorous evaluation process. Selection criteria included expertise in infection control and prevention or infectious disease, direct experience with the pandemic and/or other health emergencies, leadership in issues relevant to the commission, and contribution to diversity of viewpoints and representation to the commission’s composition. Danny R. Williams, JD, MNO, LNHA, President & CEO of Eliza Bryant Village, said “We are confident that Ms. Taylor will bring her unique solution-based approach to this committee as she continues to implement such solutions at Eliza Bryant Village. Eliza Bryant Village continues to be a pioneer in long term care with a special niche for caring for underserved African-American aging adults. For nearly 125 years, the Village has developed innovative solutions to healthcare challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic that has devastated our aging community.” The commission will convene via teleconference in June and will meet regularly using virtual collaboration tools to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the nursing home response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This work will inform efforts to safeguard the health and quality of life of vulnerable Americans, as well as prepare for future threats to nursing home residents’ safety and to public health. Specifically, the commission is tasked to: • Identify best practices for facilities to enable rapid and effective identification and mitigation of transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in nursing homes; • Work to recommend best practices as exemplars of rigorous infection control practices and facility resiliency that can serve as a framework for enhanced oversight and quality monitoring activities; • Identify best practices for improved care delivery and responsiveness to the needs of all nursing home residents in preparation for, during, and following an emergency; and • Identify opportunities to leverage new sources of data to improve existing infection control policies and enable coordination across federal surveyors, contractors, and state and local entities to mitigate coronavirus and future emergencies. • Recommendations made by the commission will encompass both immediate and long-term actions. Learn more about the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes and the full list of volunteer leaders. Dallas Taylor, RN Director of Nursing, Eliza Bryant Village