Mandated Reporting of HAIs
According to DC Municipal Regulations, healthcare facilities must report priority healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and any outbreaks or clusters that occur. DC Health provides both oversight and support for these mandatory HAI reporting activities through its HAI Program. Please refer to the links below to view the current regulations and guidances. For more information, please contact the DC Health HAI Program at [email protected].
- Healthcare Onset COVID-19
- DC COVID-19 Absenteeism Surveillance for Healthcare Employees
- Types of reportable HAIs by facility type (DCMR 22-B208.1)
- Outbreaks and clusters (DCMR 22-B208.2)
- Definitions (DCMR 22-B299.1)
- Acute Care Facility Guidance for DCMR 22-B208.1
- Long Term Care Facility Guidance for DCMR 22-B208.1
View a list of Notifiable Diseases and Conditions in the District of Columbia
Reporting HAI Outbreaks or Clusters to DOH
DC Health conducts passive surveillance of HAI outbreaks and clusters within DC healthcare facilities. While reporting of HAI outbreaks and clusters are mandated by DCMR 22-B208.2, it is ultimately up to each individual healthcare facility to report any outbreak or cluster that is occurring at their facility. DC Health's HAI Program is available to provide guidance and resources to any type of healthcare facility that suspects an HAI outbreak or cluster. Examples of resources that can be provided by the HAI Program include laboratory support, subject matter expertise and coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The DC Health HAI Program tracks the number of HAI outbreaks and clusters using a line list and can also look back at National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) data to detect outbreaks and clusters that have happened in the past.
Healthcare facilities in DC report outbreaks and clusters electronically to DC Health using DCRC, our online reporting system. Facilities may also send reports by phone or email.
- To report an HAI outbreak or cluster at your facility, submit a DCRC Notifiable Disease and Condition Case Report Form, which can be accessed on the following page.
- To receive more information about HAI outbreak and cluster reporting, please contact the DC Health HAI Program at [email protected].
Containing the Spread of Emerging Antibiotic Resistant Organisms
DC Health conducts active surveillance for specific types of antibiotic resistant organisms through the CDC Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (ARLN). This is a national initiative that enables state public health labs and state health departments to collaborate with local healthcare facilities and clinical labs to detect, respond to, and contain emerging threats of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs). Through this initiative, the DC Health HAI Program works closely with local healthcare facilities to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to stop the spread of high priority MDROs.
Reporting Individual HAI Cases to DC Health
Healthcare facilities in DC report individual HAI cases to DC Health through NHSN. This is done for both mandated and voluntarily reported HAIs. Healthcare facilities that do not currently use NHSN also have the option of reporting individual HAI cases to the HAI Program either by fax or telephone. For more information about how to report individual HAI cases to DC Health, please contact the DC Health HAI Program at [email protected].
- Acute Care Facility Guidance for individual HAI reporting as per DCMR 22-B208.1
- Long Term Care Facility Guidance for individual HAI reporting as per DCMR 22 - B208.1
Confidentiality of Surveillance Data
DC Health is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. This means that healthcare facilities are allowed to disclose Protected Health Information (PHI) when it is requested by DC Health for public health surveillance purposes, such as routine HAI surveillance and HAI outbreak and cluster investigations. DC Health is not allowed to disclose or use any of this PHI for non-surveillance purposes. For more information about the confidentiality of public health surveillance data, please refer to the links below:
- DCMR 22-217 Confidentiality
- FAQs about HIPAA Privacy Rule
- Communication of Possible Healthcare-associated Infections across Healthcare Settings
Reports and Information about HAIs in DC