1. CAH Healthcare Worker Immunizations
Recognizing that most CAHs are not NHSN users, and acknowledging that enrollment is a very complex process, we thought it would be helpful to provide you with a starting point.
Online guides and training modules are also available and go into far more detail that I will today. Here we go…!

2. National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) is a surveillance system and data repository for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
It also provides the capability to
Collect and report antibiotic use and resistance,
Report incidents, i.e., dialysis related and much more
- Analysis/Reports (templates or customized)
Link to best practices and guidelines and other valuable improvement information
To begin login on to NHSN by typing this URL in your browser

3. click here You’ll see the the opening page…
There are several options; click on “New to NHSN? Enroll Facility Here”

4. Click
here
It will open to this page, again with a variety of options; click on “Acute Care Hospitals/Facilities”

5. 5-Step Enrollment for Acute Care Hospitals/Facilities
Today our focus will be exclusively on the process of enrolling in preparation for reporting.
We’re going to review each step in the NHSN Facility Administrator Enrollment Guide. I want to stress that it’s imperative you go through each step in order.
This is your starting point…but, the first thing you will need to do is determine who your facility admin will be. Once that decision is made, that person (from now on referred to as YOU) begins STEP 1, Training and Prep. You will nee to find an hour or so of uninterrupted time to read the NHSN Facility Administrator Enrollment Guide and take a look at the Patient Safety Component Annual Facility Survey and the correlating instructions.
Things to consider when selecting a Facility Administrator include…
The NHSN facility admin is the only person who can enroll the hospital in NHSN or re-assign the role of facility admin.
The facility admin should be someone in a decision making capacity in the hospital because the admin will select with what groups(s) to share information with and what components of NHSN to activate.
The facility admin can designate others in the hospital as a Primary Contact Person for each component
* For purposes of reporting for Jody, your hospital will enroll your hospital in the Healthcare Personnel Safety and Patient Safety Components.
So, once the facility admin has read through the enrollment guide he/she will proceed to STEP 2…

6. 5-Step Enrollment for Acute Care Hospitals/Facilities
To actively begin the registration process you’ll need to review and agree to the Rules of Behavior.
This step is necessary for participation in NHSN reporting – accepting attests that you will abide with rules to safeguard the system’s security.
Begin by clicking on the words “Rules of Behavior” in this step.
Read through it, if in agreement, click ACCEPT.
Accepting will take you to the NHSN Registration

7. 5-Step Enrollment for Acute Care Hospitals/Facilities
here you will provide your name, address and hospital CMS Certification Number (CCN). If you don’t know your hospital’s CCN contact Nathan or me. Other hospital ID options are available (AHA # and VA #) but please use the CCN option.
After saved, you’ll receive 2 s as noted on the previous slide:
Welcome to NHSN immediately and Invitation to Register within 24 hours.

8. 5-Step Enrollment for Acute Care Hospitals/Facilities
STEP 3a
The Invitation to Register invites you to register for the
“CDC’s Secure Access Management Service” (SAMS)
It provides a link to the SAMS user registration page and provides a temporary password.
In the registration process you’ll be asked to
- share basic information about yourself, including your home address,
Create a permanent SAMS password,
Accept the SAMS Rules of Behavior
Within 24 hours you’ll receive an “Identity Verification Request” .

9. 5-Step Enrollment for Acute Care Hospitals/Facilities
STEP 3b
From the “Identity Verification Request” you’ll print forms that will be completed and returned to the CDC to verify your identity…
- most information will have transferred into the applicant from information that you previously entered.
You’ll need to provide proof of your identity…two forms of identification . I used my driver’s license and passport (photocopies).
Have the documents notarized
Send to the CDC following the instructions provided
Tip…
Be 100% certain that the info on your driver’s license matches the home address you entered previously – this is part of identity verification and it’s where your SAMS card will be sent.
You should receive your SAMS card within 10 days

10. 5-Step Enrollment for Acute Care Hospitals/Facilities
STEP 4 Submit NHSN Enrollment Forms Electronically
After you receive your SAMS card, login to SAMS using your password and SAMS grid card
From here you’ll go through the NHSN Facility Enrollment process – instructions are provided
- print the needed forms – it’s recommended you complete them on paper and then transcribe the information into the online forms.
- you’ll need to print the forms for the Healthcare Personnel Safety component and the Patient Safety component.
For this step you’ll once again need to have your hospital’s CCN
Click Submit within minutes you’ll receive an NHSN …

11. 5-Step Enrollment for Acute Care Hospitals/Facilities
STEP 5 Sign and Send Consent
In this you’ll receive verification of your hospital’s enrollment in NHSN.
Now you need to provide a Consent form to NHSN signed by your hospital’s CEO or COO. To do this…
Log back into SAMS
Print the Participate and Consent form
Secure CEO’s signature
Fax it to the CDC
When the CDC receives the signed document your hospital will be activated in NHSN and you’ll be sent another . When you receive this you’ll be able to begin your hospital’s NHSN Set-up…that’s another training session!
I know I’ve gone through a lot of information in short order. Each step in the Facility Administrator Enrollment and Hospital Enrollment process is outlined in detail in the online guide.

12. NHSN Enrollment
Questions?
Comments?
Feedback?

13. NHSN Enrollment and Data Reporting Technical Assistance
NHSN Help Desk
North Dakota Department of Health
Faye Salzer, HAI Activity Coordinator
Quality Health Associates of ND
Nathan Brintnell, ISSO/Programmer/NHSN Data Analyst
Jean Roland, Quality Improvement Specialist/HEN State Lead
We look forward to providing any assistance we can.
I believe I should have also included Jody’s information here!