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I had little idea what I was getting into when I agreed to participate in an innovative pilot program to help nursing home administrators and frontline staff combat the spread of COVID-19.

But I was willing to try almost anything to prevent another wave of sickness, suffering, stress, and uncertainty like the one that hit our facility in April and May.

All Are Welcome to Join

Now that effort’s gone national. The AHRQ [Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality] ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network launched this month with training centers and nursing homes around the country joining new virtual communities of practice.

And, after participating in the pilot program, I’ve signed up again, because what the COVID-19 Action Network offers—not only education but mentoring and a peer community—is that valuable right now.

Working at nursing homes during this pandemic, so many of us feel like we’re carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders, with hardly any support. The stress takes a terrible toll. Even worse, because there’s so much still unknown about this virus, we worry that we’re missing things—things that could help keep our residents safe.

Support and Mutual Respect

Participating in the COVID-19 Action Network brought me to a new place—a place where I could share my perspective and experiences, where I could learn from the experiences of my peers, where I could hear new ideas and think differently. It was a place of collaboration and mutual respect where I didn’t just passively receive wisdom and best practices from the experts. I contributed my own, and it was valued.

And, perhaps most of all, it was a place where I felt supported. My staff and I were not alone—far from it. Being in the Network reinforced that we truly are all in this fight together.

A Collaborative Approach

The Network is led by three organizations: the federal AHRQ, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and Project ECHO. Together, they created the initiative to prevent and reduce COVID-19 in nursing homes—not through regulation or compulsory programs but through voluntary, collaborative learning.

Here’s how it works: Training centers across the country—mainly academic medical centers or large health systems—run virtual communities of practice on Zoom that are staffed by experts in infection control and gerontology. Staff from up to 35 nursing homes participate in these communities of practice.

Each Zoom session (there are 16) kicks off with a quick lecture on a topic like Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use and then moves on to real-life case presentations that spark a lot of hands-on discussion and problem solving.

Everyone participates in the sessions. Everyone’s experience, observations, and questions are honored and valued. That’s what made it so different. We weren’t just there to learn. We were there to share with each other, and even teach each other—as well as the experts, who wanted to know about our on-the-ground experiences to inform their own perspectives.

More Than Worth It

After only one or two sessions, I was hooked. I didn’t want to miss a single session because of what I was learning, the support I was receiving, and the relationships I was building. After the 16-session program ended, I found myself missing it.

People sometimes ask me what it was like when the pandemic peaked this spring. I tell them I never experienced anything like it before and never want to again.

That’s why I “re-upped.” As a nursing home administrator, I want to do everything in my power to beat this scourge and protect our residents and our staff. I’ve learned that when we come together to learn with and from each other, we can create something powerful: the knowledge and support to move forward and succeed.

We are not alone—and we shouldn’t be. I urge others to join the COVID-19 Action Network now.

To learn more about the AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network, visit https://hsc.unm.edu/echo/institute-programs/nursing-home/pages/nursing-home-info.html. 

Jane Davis is administrator for Hyatt Family Facilities at Landmark Care & Rehabilitation in Yakima, Wash. Starting out in assisted living in 1993, Davis has been a licensed nursing home administrator since 1998 with licenses in six states. She has practiced in Washington state, Texas, and South Carolina during her career. She can be reached at Jane@hyattff.com.