CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) released a new Point of Care (POC) Laboratory Reporting Pathway within the NHSN LTC COVID-19 Module on October 15. The new Pathway will enable CMS-certified nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities, to meet the Department of Health and Human Services’ requirement to report SARS-CoV-2 point-of-care antigen test data, and other on-site COVID-19 laboratory testing data, to appropriate federal and state health authorities. This new NHSN Pathway provides a single reporting system that nursing homes already use for other mandatory COVID reporting and will meet the requirement to report SARS-CoV-2 point-of-care antigen testing data to state health departments and other appropriate federal authorities.  

Using the pathway will require an upgraded NHSN Secure Access Management Service (SAMS) from Level 1 to Level 3. An email invitation from CDC to perform this upgrade will be sent to users. Alternatively, facilities can email nhsn@cdc.gov with the subject line “Enhancing Data Security” to begin upgrading their SAMS access to use this Pathway.