If residents or staff members at your facility experience a COVID+ test result or are suspected of having COVID-19, the facility will need to report that information to a variety of constituencies. In addition to communicating with your local department of health to obtain and report test results, you may need to report to a state department of health, residents, and others.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires SNFs to inform residents, their families, and their representatives of COVID+ cases and clusters of respiratory illnesses in their facilities with ongoing updates of the same, and to report COVID+ cases directly to the CDC via the electronic National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

The sample policies here have been developed to assist your organization in complying with applicable reporting requirements.