Home Care Frequently Asked Questions
Tuberculosis

No. The facility risk assessment pertains only to health care settings. If, however, you provide homecare services in an “exempt” setting from Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144G licensure (such as in HUD settings), then you are required to complete a TB risk assessment annually. Completion of this assessment will assist providers in the development of an infection control committee and in determining the frequency of screening.  

Resources

• Facility Tuberculosis (TB) Risk Assessment Instructions and Worksheet for Health Care Settings Licensed by MDH (DOCX)  

All Minnesota health care personnel should receive TB education annually. TB education should include information on TB exposure risk factors (both occupational and nonoccupational), the signs and symptoms of TB disease, and TB infection control policies and procedures. 

Baseline TB screening is required at the time of hire for all health care personnel in Minnesota. 

Baseline TB screening includes:  

• assessing for current symptoms of active TB disease  
• assessing TB history  
• testing for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by administering either a two-step tuberculin skin test (TST) or single TB blood test  

Resources

• Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) - Minnesota Dept. of Health 
• Baseline TB Screening Tool for Health Care Personnel (DOCX)  
• Tuberculin Skin Testing (TST) Protocol for Screening Health Care Workers (DOCX)  

A test dated within 90 days of hiring is acceptable.  

All settings that require TB screening for employees, employers must cover the costs of those tests. Refer to Occupational Safety and Health Standards 182.655, subdivision 10a regarding protective equipment, monitoring exposure levels, and medical exams. 

A CXR alone is not acceptable documentation. You either need  

• documentation of a positive two-step Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) or Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) test, and  
• a CXR with provider evaluation after that date  

or

• documentation of refusal of both the two-step TST and IGRA  
• followed by a new CXR and provider evaluation

If the health care worker had a prior positive TB test result, and they only have the CXR but no other test documentation, then they need to take a new TB test. If the result is positive, a new CXR needs to be completed. The CXR needs to be done within 90 days of the positive test date or dated any time after the positive test date.

Resources 

• Regulations for TB Control in Minnesota Health Care Settings  
• Tuberculosis Screening, Testing, and Treatment of U.S. Health Care Personnel: Recommendations from the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association and CDC, 2019 | MMWR  
• Subscribe to Tuberculosis (TB) Updates from Minnesota Department of Health