Hospital Recruitment Project

UPDATES COMING SOON

Data currently used in the Missouri ESSENCE system originates with the Hospital Electronic Syndromic Surveillance Reporting Rule. Now that all of Missouri’s mandated hospitals are reporting, we are seeking data from previously exempted hospitals in order to achieve greater emergency department (ED) coverage within ESSENCE. We estimate that the 92 facilities that currently participate in ESSENCE account for approximately 92% of all ED visits statewide. DHSS has also collaborated with its partners to recruit facilities in other states that border Missouri. DHSS and its partners recognize that public health events such as outbreaks and natural disasters do not recognize borders, so data sharing is essential for timely and effective public health response. 

Illinois (Project Completed 2009)

• This project was funded in part by the St. Louis Regional Response System (STARRS) and received the support of the Illinois Department of Public Health, the East Side Health District, and Illinois local public health agencies in St. Clair, Madison, and Monroe counties.
• Twelve Illinois facilities are currently sharing data with DHSS as a result of this project. We sincerely thank each hospital for their continued participation in this project!

Kansas and Kansas City Metropolitan Area (Project Completed 2012)

• A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant was awarded to DHSS to acquire data from Kansas and Missouri hospitals in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
• This project received ongoing support from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City assisted with outreach and local public health officials in the Kansas counties of Johnson, Wyandotte, Miami, and Leavenworth engaged in the process of hospital recruitment.
• Five Kansas hospitals and three Missouri hospitals are currently sharing data with DHSS as a result of this project.  We look forward to working with these hospitals for many years and thank them for their participation!

Other Missouri Hospitals

• We are currently interested in data from any other Missouri hospitals with EDs that wish to voluntarily submit data for use in ESSENCE.
• There is currently no funding available to assist hospitals with sharing syndromic surveillance data with DHSS.
• Visit the Missouri Information for Public Health Exchange webpage for information on syndromic surveillance and other public health reporting for Meaningful Use.
• See documents below for more information on technical requirements and specifications for syndromic surveillance in Missouri.
  • Hospital Electronic Syndromic Surveillance (HESS) Submission Form (ITSD)
  • Hospital Electronic Syndromic Surveillance (HESS) HL7 Implementation Guide