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This blog publishes information typically sent to users of the Colorado Health Facilities Interactive (COHFI) system for health care entities regulated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Please note that COHFI is the official medium for business communication between the Department and licensed and/or Medicare/Medicaid certified health care entities. Health care entities should continue to monitor their email accounts routinely.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
The 2025 HAI Annual Report and HAI Dashboard have been reposted
Friday, October 18, 2024
Critical Access Hospital Licensure - SB24-121 - Comment Reminder
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Friday, June 21, 2024
Critical Access Hospital Licensure - SB24-121
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Wednesday, September 13, 2023
9/26 Stakeholder meeting in regards to “Patients’ Right to Know” Act, or HB23-1218
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Friday, August 25, 2023
Infection Control in Critical Access Hospitals
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Monday, August 14, 2023
Switchback Team Resilience, Recovery and Development Training Program
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Friday, July 14, 2023
Join NHSN AUR Module Colorado Group Office Hour on 8/02/2023
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Friday, June 30, 2023
Switchback Team Resilience, Recovery and Development Training Program
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Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Proposed Changes to 6 CCR 1009-1
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Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Chapter 4, Hospitals Rule Revision Stakeholder Meeting Information – March 21, 2023 – First Notice
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Friday, December 9, 2022
HFEMSD Survey of Colorado Rural & Critical Access Hospitals re: CMS Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Program – Second Request
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Wednesday, August 21, 2019
HEALTH ALERT NETWORK BROADCAST
From: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
HEALTH ALERT NETWORK (HAN) BROADCAST
Vaping cartridges potentially related to the severe acute pulmonary disease outbreak
- As of August 19th, more than 120 cases of severe acute pulmonary disease hospitalizations and respiratory support among previously healthy adults have been reported in at least 15 states. To date, one suspect case has been reported in Colorado.
- A reported common exposure among these patients is that they have been vaporizing or dabbing with cartridges or products, some containing cannabis (THC) or cannabindiol (CBD) oils, nicotine, synthetic cannabinoids, or a combination of these. At this time, no infectious cause has been identified.
Detailed background information, case definition and recommendations for providers is included on the HAN notice which accompanies this message.
- Clinicians and local health departments who become aware of cases similar to those described in the HAN notice are asked to report them to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's (CDPHE) Disease Reporting Line: 303-692-2700 or 303-370-9395 (after hours).
HAN Advisory - Vaping cartridges potentially related to the severe acute pulmonary disease outbreak
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Emergency Preparedness- Updates to Appendix Z of the State Operations Manual (SOM)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)) has made revisions, effective immediately, to Appendix Z of the State Operations Manual (SOM), which is the Interpretive Guidance for Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers. These are not changing any requirements, but just adding some clarifications. You can view or download the revised Appendix Z at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yEoPpmWUOGHXAoeE3lgKnCEON_RN_W9I/view?usp=sharing
Changes are highlighted in red italics.
The main revisions include:
- (Definitions) CMS is adding "emerging infectious diseases" or "EIDs" to the current definition of all-hazards approach, after determining that is critical for facilities to include planning for infectious diseases within their emergency preparedness programs. Examples of EIDs include Influenza, Ebola Virus, Zika and others.
- (Tag E-0004)It added EIDs to the list of hazards that facilities should include as their conduct their risk assessments.
- (Tags E-0015 and E-0042) Alternate Source Power and Emergency Power Standby Systems, clarifies that facilities should use the most appropriate energy source or electrical system based on their facility's risk assessment and as required by existing regulations or state requirements. Whatever alternate source is selected must meet local and state laws, manufacturer requirements and Life Safety Code requirements. If a facility chooses a portable and mobile generator (rather than permanent generator), then the LSC provisions, e.g. generator testing/maintenance/etc under NFPA guidelines would not apply, except for NFPA 70-National Electrical Code.
These updates are NOT related to the proposed rule changes published in the Federal Register September 20, 2018, related to reducing the regulatory burden on facilities in meeting the emergency preparedness requirements. We still await guidance on the outcome of that proposed rule.
If you have questions regarding the emergency preparedness rule, please contact SCGEmergencyPrep@cms.hhs.gov or Melanie Roth at CDPHE, Melanie.Roth-Lawson@state.co.us.
Friday, November 30, 2018
Join NHSN Colorado Group Monthly Webinar on 12/5/2018
The monthly webinar will be held on the first Wednesday of every month from 1p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (MST).
Please join us at our next monthly webinar on December 5, 2018. Go tohttps://stateofcolorado.centurylinkccc.com/CenturylinkWeb/LyndaSaignaphone to join the webinar.
Agenda:
- Updates and announcements
- Changes to Reporting Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination Data
- Dialysis Validation Findings and ESRD Reports
- Q&A
Go to https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/hai-professionals to view additional training opportunities provided by the Healthcare Associated Infection program.
For questions, please contact Lynda Saignaphone at 303-692-2923, lynda.saignaphone@state.co.us.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Proposed Rule to Revise Emergency Preparedness Requirements
From: Greg Schlosser, Branch Chief, Education & Technical Assistance Branch
On September 20, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register to change the emergency preparedness requirements to reduce regulations that are burdensome, and to increase provider flexibility to focus on delivering high-quality healthcare. View the proposed rule here
CMS proposes to:
- Change the review of the emergency program to every TWO years, instead of the current requirement of every year.
- Require that facilities provide training biennially (every two years), after facilities conduct initial training for their emergency program. CMS will require additional training when the emergency plan is significantly outdated.
- Change testing requirements. For inpatient providers, CMS will expand the types of acceptable testing exercises that may be conducted, and for outpatient providers, CMS proposes only one testing exercise required annually.
- Eliminate the requirement that facilities document efforts to contact local, tribal, regional, State, and Federal emergency preparedness officials, and that facilities document their participation in collaborative and cooperative planning efforts. Only the documentation requirements would be eliminated. Facilities would still be required to include a process for cooperation and collaboration with these entities to maintain an integrated response during a disaster or emergency situation
Comments to CMS on the proposed rule, Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency and Burden Reduction must be received no later than 5 p.m. on November 19, 2018. When commenting, refer to file code CMS-3346-P. Comments can be submitted in one of the following ways:
- Electronically to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the "Submit a comment" instructions.
- By regular mail to CMS, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3346-P, P.O. Box 8010, Baltimore, MD 21244-1810.
- By express or overnight mail to CMS, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-3346-P, Mail Stop C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
For further information, contact Alpha-Banu Wilson, (410) 786-8687. CMS has also included a subject matter expert under the "Provisions of the Proposed Rule" section for each provision set out in the proposed rule.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Tuberculosis for Health Care Workers – Glenwood, Colorado
From: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
SPACE STILL AVAILABLE!!!
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is partnering with Mesa and Garfield County to host a full day training on Tuberculosis (TB). This free training will increase your understanding of and comfort with managing TB by providing information and skill building activities on the following topics:
- Introduction to TB
- Diagnosis and Treatment for TB infection and disease
- TB case management
- TB contact investigation
We invite nurses and other interested personnel who provide health services to patients with or at risk for tuberculosis in Colorado to attend the two day training, TB for Health Care Workers on September 24th from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm and 25th from 8:30-12:30. The first day will be held at the Glenwood Springs Library and the second day will be held at Colorado Mountain College, Glenwood Springs.
The last day to register is September 16th, 2018.
For more details and to register go to: http://www.train.org/colorado/home and search for course #1080090 under the course catalog tab.
Registration cost is FREE
Space is very limited so please register early.
For more information please contact Tavia Mirassou-Wolf at 303-692-2638 or Tavia.mirassou-wolf@state.co.us with any questions.
Tuberculosis for Health Care Workers – Montrose, Colorado
From: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
SPACE STILL AVAILABLE!!!
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is partnering with the Montrose County Health and Human Services to host a full day training on Tuberculosis (TB). This free training will increase your understanding of and comfort with managing TB by providing information and skill building activities on the following topics:
- Introduction to TB
- Diagnosis and Treatment for TB infection and disease
- TB case management
- TB contact investigation
We invite nurses and other interested personnel who provide health services to patients with or at risk for tuberculosis in Colorado to attend the TB for Health Care Workers training on September 27th from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm in the Board Room at the Montrose County Health and Human Services (1845 S Townsend Avenue, Montrose, Colorado 81401).
The last day to register is September 16th, 2018!
For more details and to register go to: http://www.train.org/colorado/home and search for course #1071602 under the course catalog tab.
Registration cost is FREE
Space is very limited so please register early.
For more information please contact Tavia Mirassou-Wolf at 303-692-2638 or Tavia.mirassou-wolf@state.co.us with any questions.
Friday, August 3, 2018
TB Update and Skin Testing Practicum for Health Care Providers
The Denver Metro TB Clinic invite nurses and other health care providers from home health agencies, clinics, and long-term care facilities to attend a tuberculosis update and skin testing practicum on Thursday, October 4th, 2018 from 12:30pm - 5:00pm in the Public Health Auditorium, 2nd floor at Denver Public Health (605 Bannock Street, Denver).
Course Objectives are:
- Express an increased and updated knowledge of TB infection and TB disease
- Demonstrate their skill in placing and reading the TST
For more details and a link to register go to: http://denverpublichealth.org/home/clinics-and-services/tuberculosis-clinic/for-providers/tb-education
Registration cost is $60
Space is very limited so please register early.
For more information please contact Carolyn Bargman at 303-602-7243 cbargman@dhha.org with any questions.
