- Why was WA HEALTH created?
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Washington’s health care leaders needed to better understand and respond to threats like COVID-19. They needed more accurate and more timely acute care data. WA HEALTH provides that information while streamlining reporting. Health care workers are more knowledgeable with less time spent on reports, thanks to WA HEALTH.
- Who sees WA HEALTH information?
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State, regional, and local decision-makers, as well as hospital coalitions and hospital-level leadership and emergency preparedness partners, can view the information in WA HEALTH dashboards.
Access
- Who should enter this data?
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Each organization should determine who will report to ensure that the most accurate data is in the portal. All Washington acute care hospitals must report data to WA HEALTH under the Emergency Rule.
- How do I gain access to WA HEALTH?
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Your parent organization administrator can grant you access. If you do not know who your site administrator is email us at wahealth@doh.wa.gov for help.
- Do I need to have a WA.gov account to access my WA HEALTH account?
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Yes. Your WA.gov account email address must match your WA HEALTH account email. Please create your WA.gov account online. An account can automatically login to the incorrect WA.gov account. You must use the WA.gov account email that matches with your WA HEALTH account email.
- How do I log into the WA HEALTH portal for the first time?
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After making your request, you will receive an email invitation from the system with login instructions. You will need a WA.gov account to log in with the same email address that is attached to your WA HEALTH account.
- I haven’t received my email invitation. What do I do?
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Check the junk mail folder in your email inbox Automated emails often end up there. If you still do not have it, email us at wahealth@doh.wa.gov for help.
- What are the WA HEALTH user roles and what can each role do?
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There are four user roles:
- Parent Organization Administrator: Can access the administration section and update facility and user information. We suggest you limit the number of users with this role.
- Organizational Health Care Worker: Submits and updates data for the facility.
- Report Viewer: Can access the dashboard and export reports for various facilities. Note: Export to Excel by using the ellipses ("…") on the top right of the report.
- Regional Report Viewer: Can only access the dashboard and export reports for certain facilities. Users with this role do not need to be associated with a specific facility or parent organization. Note: Export to Excel by using the ellipses ("…") on the top right of the report.
- What do I do if I'm having trouble connecting my WA.gov authentication to my WA HEALTH profile?
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- Close down all your windows (your entire browser).
- If you haven’t done so already, please create your WA.gov account.
- Go to the WA HEALTH portal.
- Using the instructions that were previously sent to you, go to Step 9 and continue from there: "Sign in through SecureAccess Washington, open your profile in WA HEALTH, and click +connect for your WA.gov login." (Many people skip this step to "login through SAW" after creating a WA.gov account. You need to do this before you can login through WA.gov.)
- What should I do if I experience long loading times with the WA HEALTH portal?
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A long waiting time might occur if your facility recently got an update to its antivirus/malware software. It could block the WA HEALTH site. Please contact your IT department for assistance. Ask them to whitelist the WA HEALTH website.
- What is the preferred log in browser for WA HEALTH?
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The WA HEALTH portal works best with Microsoft Edge.
Entering, Reviewing, and Reporting Data
- Does WA HEALTH count licensed or staffed beds?
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WA HEALTH tallies staffed beds. We definite a staffed bed as "A bed at a facility where there is staff (nurse, MA, etc.) available at the time of data collection to take care of a patient/potential patient. The staff must be present and on hand within the facility to care for the patient/potential patient. This includes staff scheduled to work the shift when it was counted."
- How many days do I have to report data within WA HEALTH?
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You can enter data up to 3-days before today’s date.
- What if I’m outside of the 3-day reporting window with WA HEALTH?
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For help editing data outside the 3-day reporting window, contact us at wahealth@doh.wa.gov. During regular office hours we can adjust the backdating window. We are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and state and federal holidays.
- Can co-workers enter data into the portal?
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Yes. The administrator can add users to enter data. We recommend users know the subject and have the best understanding of the data.
- Do I need to report to HHS’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) daily?
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No. WA HEALTH will report to NHSN on your facility’s behalf. WA HEALTH began reporting to NHSN for all Washington acute care hospitals in 2023. Standardized reported cuts problems in how the data is reported. CDC runs a de-duplication program to prioritize data from the WA HEALTH to eliminate duplicate reports.
Facilities still can report directly to NHSN if necessary.
- How does WA HEALTH reporting fulfill the NHSN definitions?
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WA HEALTH breaks down certain data categories such as bed occupancy data more than NHSN does. Our reports sum up certain fields to ensure data meets NHSN requirements.
- How do I gain access to the NHSN portal?
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Contact your facility’s NHSN facility administrator for access. If you are experiencing any technical challenges in reporting in NHSN please email NHSN@cdc.gov.
- What do I do if I enter the wrong data?
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If you submitted incorrect data, simply reenter the correct data. You can enter and rewrite data within the 3-day reporting window. The system will overwrite and accept the latest version of the data submitted. If you need to correct data outside the 3-day window, contact wahealth@doh.wa.gov.
- How can I use the bulk data upload feature?
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Contact us at wahealth@doh.wa.gov to turn on this feature for your facility. Then click on the "Data Upload" button in the top right corner of your facility grid on the home page. Follow the Data upload instructions on this page. If you have further questions, contact us at wahealth@doh.wa.gov.
- How can I add a new facility in WA HEALTH?
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Contact us at wahealth@doh.wa.gov to add a new facility in WA HEALTH for you.
- What is the difference between new admissions and hospitalizations?
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"Admissions" is the number of patients admitted to the hospital each day (measure of incidence). "Hospitalizations" is the number of patients in beds on a particular day (measure of prevalence). If a patient has a five-day hospital stay, they would be counted each day under hospitalizations. On the first day, patients will be counted as admissions and hospitalizations.
- How do I report newborn babies who are in-room with their mother?
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A bassinet is considered a bed. If a mother and baby are in the same room, you would count 1 bed for the mother (other adult bed) and 1 bed for the baby (nursery bed).
- Where would I report mothers recovering from childbirth?
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WA HEALTH allows facilities to decide where to capture adult beds. These beds can be reported in the "Adult beds in other inpatient areas" category.
- How do I update my facility ICU bed types?
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Detailed instructions for changing ICU bed types can be found in the WA HEALTH User Guide in the Facilities Set Up Page section.
Additional Information
- How do I get WA HEALTH program updates?
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Email the WA HEALTH team at wahealth@doh.wa.gov to sign-up for the monthly WA HEALTH newsletter.
- How do I get additional information about WA HEALTH?
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Additional resources are on the Hospital Bed Capacity Surveillance System (WA HEALTH) webpage. You can always reach us directly with any questions or ideas for how we can better support you at wahealth@doh.wa.gov.