Connecticut State Department of Public Health

Beginning Nov. 20, 2023, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered to their home by visiting COVIDTests.gov. If you did not order tests this fall, you may place two orders for a total of eight tests. Additionally, before you discard any “expired” test kits you have, please check here to see if the expiration dates of your COVID-19 tests have been extended.

 

Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-269a  provides that certified dialysis patient care technicians employed in an outpatient or hospital dialysis unit may administer saline, heparin or lidocaine as necessary to initiate or terminate a patient's dialysis provided the ratio of on-duty staff providing direct patient care to dialysis patients shall be at least three to nine, and at least one of the three on-duty direct patient care staff persons shall be a registered nurse licensed to practice in this state.  "Certified dialysis patient care technician" means a person who has obtained certification as a dialysis patient care technician by an organization approved by the Department of Public Health.

 

The Department has approved the following national certifying organizations:
 

  • Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician offered by the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC);

  • Certified Hemodialysis Technician offered by the Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology (BONENT): and

  • Certified Nephrology Technologist offered by the Nephrology Certification Organization (NNCO).

Should you have any questions regarding these requirements, please email the Department.