MO hospital association concerned about new reporting system

The new system is causing concern among public health experts.

THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT'S NEWCOVID-19 TRACKINGSYSTEM WENT LIVE THISWEEK.IT REQUIRES HOSPITALSTO REPORT DATA TO THEDEPARTMENT FOR HEALTHAND HUMAN SERVICESINSTEAD OF THE CENTERSFOR DISEASE CONTROLAND PREVENTION.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER EMMA JAMESTELLS US WHY THE NEWSYSTEM IS CAUSINGCONCERN AMONG PUBLICHEALTH EXPERTS.EMMA JAMES, REPORTING"The Missouri HospitalAssociation says switchingover to a new reportingsystem with less than twodays notice is causing chaosamong hospitals."DAVE DILLON, SPOKESPERSON,MISSOURI HOSPITALSASSOCIATION"There was no on-boarding,there was only a timeline."DAVE DILLON WITH THEMISSOURI HOSPITALASSOCIATION SAYS THENEW SYSTEM COULD BEBENEFICIAL IN THE LONGRUN..BUT RIGHT NOW - ITCOULD HAVE NEGATIVEEFFECTS ON THECOUNTRY'S COVID-19RESPONSE.DAVE DILLON, SPOKESPERSON,MISSOURI HOSPITALSASSOCIATION"It creates an absence ofsituational awareness at thestate level so state resourcescan't be directed in ameaningful way backed bydata to support thosecommunities that are gettinghit hardest."SINCE THE NEW SYSTEMWENT LIVE - DILLON SAYSIT'S CREATED A TROUBLINGWEEKLONG GAP IN DATAFOR THE M-H-A AT A TIMEWHEN THE STATE WASSEEING AN INCREASE INCASES.DR. DAVID WILD WITH THEUNIVERSITY OF KANSASHEALTH SYSTEM SAYSDATA REPORTED TO THECDC WAS TRADITIONALLYAVAILABLE TORESEARCHERS ANDEPIDEMIOLOGISTS.DR. DAVID WILD, VICEPRESIDENT OF PERFORMANCEIMPROVEMENT, UNIVERSITY OFKANSAS HEALTH SYSTEM"That same level of access isnot possible right now with thechange to HHS and we'vemade the case that that needsto be true no mater what, butat this point there's still asignificant concern."DILLON SAYS THE BIGGESTFRUSTRATION FOR HIM ISTHE CHANGE CAME MID-STREAM - LEAVINGHOSPITALS SCRAMBLING.DAVE DILLON, SPOKESPERSON,MISSOURI HOSPITALSASSOCIATION"You can't expect thathospitals are going to be ableto move that quickly to do thisand you're doing it at thesame time where truly livesare hanging in the balance ofresource allocation and orpublic policy changes."IN KANSAS CITY, EMMAJAMES, 41 ACTION NEW