HHS revises reporting data requirements
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) canceled Monday’s deadline for hospitals and health systems to submit data to inform the agency’s distribution of its supply of remdesivir. While hospitals do not have to submit the COVID-19 admission and COVID-19 intensive care unit occupancy data to TeleTracking today, HHS has indicated it intends to ask for updated data again in the next few weeks.
AzHHA and our federal partners at the American Hospital Association have urged HHS to minimize the administrative burden associated with data reporting, including streamlining duplicative state and federal data reporting requirements. To this end, the Arizona Department of Health Services has offered to submit COVID-19 capacity and utilization data directly to the federal National Healthcare Safety Network from the data hospitals report to EMResource. Hospitals that want AHDS to report this data on their behalf must fill out this attestation form.
HHS releases additional funds for COVID-19 testing
The HHS announced it is delivering to states and territories $11 billion appropriated by the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act funding to support testing for COVID-19. Arizona will receive $150 million. As a condition of receipt, the Governor must submit specific information to HHS, including monthly estimates of laboratory and testing capacity, including those related to workforce, equipment and supplies, and available tests, as well as a description of how resources will be used for testing, including easing any COVID-19 community mitigation policies.
UArizona, State of Arizona expand COVID-19 antibody testing
The University of Arizona announced it would expand its analysis of blood samples to include hundreds of thousands of Arizonans statewide starting this week. The effort will help determine who has developed antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19. Overall, there will be 31 antibody testing sites across the state, with additional sites becoming available as needed. Registration for health care workers and first responders across the state is now available at covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu.