Dear Health Care Facilities and Health Care Providers,
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the Nebraska State of Emergency Declaration, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Public Health and the Nebraska Health Information Initiative (NEHII) are requesting your help in timely reporting in order to aid the state of Nebraska in providing essential responses to the COVID-19 outbreak affecting our communities. In addition, please see the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) February 2020 bulletin regarding HIPAA Privacy and Novel Coronavirus.
The COVID-19 outbreak falls under mandatory reporting requirements for syndromic surveillance. In light of the current situation the Department requests all health care facilities, health care providers, and labs connect to NEHII to send admissions, discharge, and transfer (ADT) files, labs, and syndromic surveillance, including syndromic surveillance data captured within ambulatory settings. Connections to NEHII would be at no cost to the facility, provider, or lab and will improve and ease the required reporting process. This will aid the state of Nebraska in providing timely response to the COVID-19 outbreak and in providing resources at the local level to keep our communities safe. Your partnership in these efforts will help us get you the resources you need to respond safely and effectively.
If you have any questions regarding connecting to NEHII for COVID-19 purposes, please feel free to contact Alexis Trout, DHHS, at 402-471-4068 or NEHII at 402-506-9900 ext. 125.
