CDPHE Request to White List (Accept) Email Addresses (correction and update)

 

To: Technical support/providers From: Department of Public Health and Environment, Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics We send monthly email information with reminders or new announcements to facilities and providers regarding birth, death and fetal death record submission. The email address we send from is cdphe.vitalrecords411@state.co.us.  The email with the underscore, cdphe_vitalrecords411@state.co.us, is no longer in use.  Please allow emails from cdphe.vitalrecords411@state.co.us.  Below is a reminder about a different email address notice/request that was sent very recently, on or about May 29, 2026. There was an extra letter in the address, in the previous communication. Apologies for the error. Below is the correct address. We are requesting technical support/providers in facilities allow receiving (white listing) of emails from this address: cdphe.coves.notification@state.co.us. These emails are received by physicians, physician assistants, advance practice nurses, medical support staff, administrative staff, birthing facility staff, midwives and midwifery staff involved in the entry of data for birth, death and fetal death records. These emails are necessary login MFA receipt and/or notices for successful and timely compliance with vital statistics reporting requirements.   If you have questions or concerns, you may contact us at the above email. The email address is now in use.

CDPHE Request to White List (Accept) Email Address

 

To: Organizational Technical Support From: Department of Public Health and Environment, Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics We are requesting technical support/providers in facilities allow receiving (white listing) of emails from this address: cdphe.coves.notification@state.co.us These emails are received by physicians, physician assistants, advance practice nurses, medical support staff, administrative staff, birthing facility staff, midwives and midwifery staff involved in the entry of data for birth, death and fetal death records. These emails are necessary login MFA receipt and/or notices for successful and timely compliance with vital statistics reporting requirements. If you have questions or concerns, you may contact us at cdphe.coves.notification@state.co.us. This email address is expected to begin to be in use by June 2026.

Apply to become a member of the Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Committee

 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is recruiting four new members of the Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory (HAI) Committee. Currently, the committee is requesting applicants for the following positions Medical statistician OR clinical microbiologist with an advanced degree, Representative from a health insurer, Infection control practitioner from a long-term care setting, Representative from a rural hospital. Applicants must be a resident of Colorado and must be able to contribute objectively to committee meetings from the perspective of the position. All interested and qualified individuals should apply. This position will be appointed by the Executive Director of CDPHE for a term of three years. The HAI Advisory Committee was established under Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) 25-3-602 to provide oversight to CDPHE for the collection and public reporting of data on HAI infection rates from health facilities. The committee typically meets every other month on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 2 - 4 p.m. CDPHE facilitates committee meetings using video conferencing. There are 11 members who represent a variety of stakeholders. Membership is voluntary. Participation on the HAI Advisory Committee is a great way to learn about HAIs and play an important role in state public health! We appreciate a diversity of input. Membership is not labor intensive, apart from participating in committee meetings. CDPHE invites qualified persons to complete and submit the fillable application with a resume or curriculum vitae by email to cdphe_hai_ar@state.co.us. You may submit additional pages with the application if needed to answer the “additional questions.” The deadline for submission is October 31, 2025. The CDPHE Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Program will review applicants internally before making a recommendation to the Executive Director for appointment. For more information, please see the HAI Advisory Committee Website or contact Chris Czaja MD, DrPH at christopher.czaja@state.co.us or 303-692-2700.

Technical Request Regarding Incoming Email

 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics sends periodic reminders/requests to facility IT staff to ensure email communications are allowed (not blocked, refused, spam/junk, etc.) from the below addresses: cdphe.vitalrecords411@state.co.us cdphe_vitalrecords411@state.co.us cdphe.coves@state.co.us  noReply@cohosting-by-genesis.com The first two are from our office directly and are used to communicate monthly regarding birth and death completion and signing, reminders, updates, etc. The third is from our office directly and is used to provide system and technical support of the COVES system (Colorado Vital Events System) regarding vital event reporting. The fourth is from our COVES system vendor and provides time-critical email notices regarding death records to be completed and signed, multi-factor authentication login codes, etc. Recipients may include staff/supervisors/managers involved with vital event reporting, physicians, advance practice nurses, physician assistants and other medical professionals. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Michelle Cowell, Field Unit Supervisor, Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics at michelle.cowell@state.co.us. Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice CDPHE | 4300 Cherry Creek Dr. South | Denver, CO 80246 US

Summary of Findings for all reportable occurrences, effective 2/1/25

 

To: Facility Administrators/Managers From: HFEMSD, HFEQ, Occurrences Program  Dear Providers,  The Department has updated the format of its Summary of Findings for all reportable occurrences, effective 2/1/25. You may notice that the information included in these summaries has been abbreviated, however will still contain the necessary statutory and regulatory requirements for public posting. For your purposes, the occurrence reporting requirements and reporting process remain the same.  Thank you for your attention to this matter.  If you have any questions, please contact our Occurrence Line at 303-692-2900.

Sterile Solutions Supply Chain Disruption for Dialysis Treatment

 

To: All providers or those affected by the saline shortage From: Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division URGENT ATTENTION REQUIRED - The Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division needs assistance in updating information about who provides dialysis services at various facilities and the number of patients receiving dialysis at home. Hurricane Helene impacted one of the largest IV fluid suppliers, owned by Baxter International, in North Carolina. This has resulted in supply chain disruptions and gaps in supplies of normal saline IV fluids, irrigation fluids, sterile water, and certain dextrose solutions. Baxter has resumed shipping to hospitals and dialysis centers, and global plants are increasing production to meet U.S. needs. However, because of ongoing disruptions, some products remain on allocation. The division asks that you complete the Google Form linked below.  IF YOU OR SOMEONE IN YOUR FACILITY/AGENCY HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THIS FORM YOU DO NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE FORM AGAIN. The information in this form will help identify the number of patients receiving intravenous and peritoneal dialysis at various facilities and their locations. This form will also provide information on the number of patients receiving home dialysis for those facilities that provide home care services. Please include a reliable contact person and the facility or agency’s phone number.  Please complete this Google Form with the requested information.

Sterile Solutions Supply Chain Disruption by Peritoneal Dialysis

 

To: All providers or those affected by the saline shortage From: Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division URGENT ATTENTION REQUIRED - The Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division needs assistance in updating information about who provides dialysis services at various facilities and the number of patients receiving dialysis at home. Hurricane Helene impacted one of the largest IV fluid suppliers, owned by Baxter International, in North Carolina. This has resulted in supply chain disruptions and gaps in supplies of normal saline IV fluids, irrigation fluids, sterile water, and certain dextrose solutions. Baxter has resumed shipping to hospitals and dialysis centers, and global plants are increasing production to meet U.S. needs. However, because of ongoing disruptions, some products remain on allocation. The division asks that you complete the Google Form linked below. This will help identify the number of patients receiving intravenous and peritoneal dialysis at various facilities and their locations. This form will also provide information on the number of patients receiving home dialysis for those facilities that provide home care services. Please include a reliable contact person and the facility or agency’s phone number.  Please complete this Google Form with the requested information.

Update on Saline and Sterile Solutions Supply Chain Disruptions

 

To: Home Health Agencies, Administrators, and OASIS Coordinators From The .To: All who may be affected by the saline shortage  From: HFEMSD We are reaching out with updates on the supply chain disruptions affecting saline and other sterile solutions due to Hurricane Helene. The recent storm impacted the Baxter facility in North Carolina, which supplies a significant portion of IV solutions and irrigation fluids across the U.S. This has led to a temporary shortage of normal saline IV fluids, irrigation fluids, sterile water, and certain dextrose solutions. Baxter has resumed shipping to hospitals and dialysis centers, and other global plants are scaling production to support U.S. needs. However, due to continued disruptions, certain products remain on allocation. Current and Upcoming Actions: Supply Coordination: HHS and ASPR are working with public and private partners to stabilize the supply chain, expedite FDA assessments of alternative products, and increase domestic manufacturing. Preparation for Further Storm Impact: With Hurricane Milton potentially affecting supply, assets are being pre-deployed, and production is being shifted from at-risk areas. Guidance for Providers: HHS encourages providers to: Evaluate and conserve supplies, prioritizing critical use cases. Review guidance from Baxter and ASHP on managing and conserving fluids effectively. Baxter is working directly with customers regarding allocations, and additional updates are available on their website. HHS will continue to coordinate with manufacturers and distributors and keep healthcare providers informed as this situation evolves. Baxter newsroom Hurricane Helene updates ASHP - fluid shortages suggestions for management and conservation Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work through these supply chain challenges together. .

EVS Infection Prevention & Control Workshops

 

To: Healthcare Professionals From: CDPHE’s HAI Project Firstline Team Project Firstline provides infection control training for frontline healthcare workers on how to recognize and stop infection risks. CDPHE’s Project Firstline team has developed training specific to the role of our EVS professionals.   EVS-specific infection prevention and control training will be covered over the course of three sessions. Topics include the concept of infection control, environmental cleaning and disinfection, linen and laundry, and medical waste.   To accommodate various schedules, we have created four “tracks” that include three separate sessions to cover the curriculum in half hour sessions. Dates for each session are listed for each track below. Register in advance.   Track 1: July 16, July 23, and July 30 at 8:00 am Track 2: July 17, July 24, and July 31 at 10:00 am   Track 3: July 18, July 25, and August 1 at 2:00 pm  *Spanish* Track: August 13, August 20, and August 27 at 8:00 am     If you have questions, email cdphe_project_firstline@state.co.us. .

State Board of Health reporting requirements for tuberculosis (TB)

 

Memorandum To: All Infection Prevention and Control Partners  From: CDPHE-Tuberculosis (TB) Program In recent months, the number of people evaluated for tuberculosis (TB) disease without timely reporting to the patient’s respective local public health agency or the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has increased. Reporting delays put the patient and community at risk and fail to meet state Board of Health reporting requirements specified in 6 CCR 1009-1.  Per rule 6 CCR 1009-1, providers must report all suspected and confirmed TB disease cases to the appropriate local public health agency (where the patient resides) or CDPHE within one (1) business day. A report should be made if TB is in the differential and TB testing is being performed, regardless of the level of suspicion.  Additionally, healthcare providers must work with the local public health agency in their jurisdiction during discharge planning to ensure the safe discharge of anyone with confirmed TB disease. However, CDPHE requests that you also do this for people who are suspected to have TB and tested for tuberculosis disease. The local public health agency must have time to review and discuss the patient’s treatment plan and coordinate adequate follow-up between health care providers and public health to ensure continuity of care. Collaboration is imperative to case management and patient safety.  We appreciate your cooperation. If you have any questions, email cdphe_tbinfo@state.co.us. Link to report a person with potential or confirmed TB disease Report persons in the respective county where they reside (local public health agency). Providers may also contact our Colorado Tuberculosis Program. Report for persons residing in the Denver metro area (adults and children living in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, and Douglas counties) to: Denver Metro Tuberculosis Clinic, 303-602-7240 .

Changes to the approach to public health surveillance for healthcare-associated invasive Group A Streptococcus infections

 

Key points Starting May/June 2024, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program will only routinely review medical records of reported cases of invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infection in patients 55 years and older to identify healthcare exposures. CDPHE will no longer review medical records for patients younger than 55 years old for this purpose. This approach will allow CDPHE to identify and respond to 95% of long-term facility cases of iGAS, as well as allow for more efficient use of public health resources to respond to healthcare-associated iGAS infection in people at greatest risk of severe disease. The Vaccine Preventable and Invasive Disease Program will continue laboratory-based surveillance for iGAS in the five-county Denver metro area without changes. Background Healthcare-associated iGAS can cause severe disease and death. A single case of iGAS in a healthcare setting can be an indicator of an outbreak. Most healthcare-associated iGAS outbreaks occur in long-term care facilities, frequently skilled nursing facilities. Approximately 30% of cases of iGAS in residents of long-term care facilities reported to CDPHE from 2020-2023 were associated with an outbreak. Long-term care facility staff may not be aware of an iGAS outbreak because iGAS infection may be diagnosed in a hospital and cases may occur weeks or months apart. In contrast to long-term care facility outbreaks of iGAS, postpartum and postsurgical infections are less common and more readily identified by hospital providers.  CDPHE’s HAI/AR Program conducts active surveillance for iGAS in healthcare settings. GAS identified from a normally sterile site or from a non-sterile site in the presence of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome or necrotizing fasciitis is a four-day laboratory-reportable condition for patients residing in Arapahoe, Adams, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties as part of CDC’s Emerging Infections Program - Active Bacterial Core Surveillance project. Currently, the HAI/AR Program reviews the medical records associated with all reported cases in order to identify healthcare exposures, including recent surgery, delivery, and long-term care facility residency. The HAI/AR Program investigates single cases and clusters of cases with healthcare exposures, in order to identify and respond to outbreaks and prevent additional cases of iGAS in healthcare settings. Between 2020 and 2023, reports of iGAS in the catchment area increased from fewer than 500 to greater than 1,000 per year. The proportion of iGAS reports with long-term care facility exposure was 1% among patients aged 0-54 years and 15% among patients aged 55 years and older. Medical record review for reports in patients 55 years and older will capture 95% of long-term facility cases of iGAS while reducing the volume of medical record review by 50%. Passive surveillance through provider reports will capture the remaining 5% of long-term care facility-associated cases, cases of iGAS in younger postpartum and post-surgical patients, and healthcare-associated cases outside the Denver metro area.  Health care providers statewide should contact the HAI/AR Program for technical assistance with the evaluation and management of single cases of iGAS in healthcare settings. Outbreaks of any kind, including suspected outbreaks of iGAS in healthcare settings, are immediately reportable. Contact the HAI/AR Program at 303-692-2700 or (cdphe_hai_ar@state.co.us). .

Firstline mobile app-requesting your feedback!

 

Children’s Hospital Colorado and Denver Health Antimicrobial Stewardship teams need your feedback on the Firstline app!   The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) supports antimicrobial stewardship in all healthcare settings. Treatment guidelines that support appropriate use of antibiotics are a priority intervention that can help prescribers optimize antibiotic selection and duration and help antimicrobial stewardship programs to conduct prospective audit and feedback and preauthorization activities. CDPHE promotes Firstline as a source of stewardship-oriented treatment guidelines that can be adapted for use by facilities and prescribers in Colorado.   Firstline is an app that allows users to access local evidence-based infectious diseases clinical pathways from Children’s Hospital Colorado and Denver Health, along with antimicrobial dosing information, pathogen information, infection prevention information, and more. It can be used in all clinical settings and points of care. The app is free to download and use (iOS and Android as well as via the web).   Firstline is currently funded by a grant through 2025. Your feedback is very important to improve features and advocate for ongoing support! Please fill out the following voluntary surveys to provide feedback on the usefulness of the Firstline app.   Access the surveys: Children’s Hospital Colorado: https://redcap.link/2rwuhmeh Denver Health: https://redcap.link/e441fa69 In the Firstline app, click on the purple “Important Information” bar on the home page, or find under “Resources”.   How to Download Firstline: If you have not already downloaded Firstline, search “Firstline” wherever you download your apps (look for the rainbow circle logo). After downloading, search for Children’s Hospital Colorado or Denver Health. Hint: say yes to push notifications, that is us telling you about important infectious diseases updates and shortages, not advertising. You can navigate between Children’s Hospital Colorado and Denver Health by clicking on the Firstline logo in the top left corner.   Contact the Children’s Hospital Colorado Firstline group at michael.bozzella@childrenscolorado.org or the CDPHE HAI/AR Program at cdphe_hai_ar@state.co.us for more information. .

New Firstline mobile app-antimicrobial stewardship in the palm of your hand

 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) supports antimicrobial stewardship in all healthcare settings. Treatment guidelines that support appropriate use of antibiotics are a priority intervention that can help prescribers optimize antibiotic selection and duration and help antimicrobial stewardship programs to conduct prospective audit and feedback and preauthorization activities. CDPHE promotes Firstline as a source of stewardship-oriented treatment guidelines that can be adapted for use by facilities and prescribers in Colorado.   Children’s Hospital Colorado and Denver Health have partnered with Firstline to create a mobile app to support antimicrobial stewardship in Colorado. Firstline houses clinical pathways from Children’s Colorado and Denver Health, along with antimicrobial dosing information, pathogen information, infection prevention information, and more. It is intended for use in all clinical settings. The app is free to download, and is available on iOS and Android devices, as well as a web-based format. No matter your specialty or practice, we are all stewards. We can all work together in keeping Colorado healthy, one antibiotic choice at a time.   How to Download: Click here or go to https://firstline.org/colorado/ to find and download our app. Once downloaded, you can set your location to Denver Health and/or Children’s Colorado to access all of our materials. Once in the app, clicking on the Firstline logo in the top left corner will allow you to toggle between locations to access adult vs pediatric guidance.   Contact the Children’s Colorado Firstline group at michael.bozzella@childrenscolorado.org or contact the HAI/AR Program at cdphe_hai_ar@state.co.us for more information.