TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment today recognized two Kansas hospitals for their support of the Kansas Syndromic Surveillance Program (KSSP). Labette Health, a 99-bed hospital in Parsons, and Wesley Medical Center, a 760-bed hospital in Wichita, received the recognitions at the annual meeting of the Kansas Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society in Wichita, May 3-4, 2018.

 

The two hospitals were recognized for complete and timely reporting of electronic health record (EHR) data to KSSP. As a result, both hospitals have contributed to the protection of the community by maintaining data quality and responding quickly to quality improvement issues.

 

“By participating in the Syndromic Surveillance Program, these hospitals help make a difference for public health in Kansas,” said KDHE Secretary Jeff Andersen. “Labette Health and Wesley Medical Center deserve this recognition for their hard work and diligence in this important area.”

 

In Kansas 79 hospitals submit data to KSSP via their EHR system. Deidentified data from participating hospitals containing the patient's chief complaint information arrives within hours of the patient's arrival to an emergency department.  From that information, KDHE's Bureau of Epidemiology and Public Health Informatics successfully tracked influenza and pneumonia activity over the flu season and has worked to ensure all measles cases have been identified in the current Eastern Kansas measles outbreak.

 

The receipt of EHR information from hospitals participating in Syndromic Surveillance and other public health registries, reportable diseases, cancer registry, and immunization registry, has assisted the agency's efforts to protect public health.