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Hurricane Matthew Alert: DOH Requires HERDS Data Response in Three Hours

The state Department of Health (DOH) has sent an urgent alert to providers that the Health Emergency Data System (HERDS) is activated in preparation for Hurricane Matthew; providers (including home care and hospice) are required to submit data within three hours.

An alert is the “highest priority emergency communication” and “warrants immediate action or attention by the recipient,” according to the DOH communication.

Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Cuba at about 8 p.m. last night. It is a Category 4 storm carrying maximum sustained winds of 130 mph and moving north at 8 mph.

To plan for this event and its potential New York impact, DOH is requiring home care, hospice and other providers to complete one or more survey forms in advance of Hurricane Matthew. Providers should check the Health Commerce System (HCS) to access these required surveys and instructions.

By regulation, providers must comply with DOH requests for essential data, “particularly information needed to prepare for and respond to the impact of emergency events, such as Hurricane Matthew,” DOH says in its recent alert. “This current data collection is for planning purposes and no evacuation orders are in place at this time.”

Facilities and agencies are directed to submit the requested data within three hours.

Questions regarding this data collection should be directed to the Office of Health Emergency Preparedness at (518) 408-5163 orHCEmergency@health.ny.gov.

When submitting the data, users are reminded to be sure to first Save All, press the Review and Submit button and then Submit data to DOH in order to successfully complete the data submission process. Pressing the Save button alone does NOT submit data to DOH.

HCA will keep the membership informed of all critical communications related to this event.