Leapfrog Group and AARP are currently advocating for Congress to pass a policy requiring ASCs to report their COVID-19 infection rates on an ongoing basis.
The two groups are pushing for policy that expands the CDC's systemic national monitoring and public reporting of healthcare-acquired infection rates, rather than just the subset of hospitals currently required to report.
Outside of ASCs, the initiative would also require long-term care facilities, dialysis centers and outpatient surgery units at hospitals to report their rates.
The CDC already has an organization that does this on a smaller scale, called the National Healthcare Surveillance Network, Forbes reported April 9. The network works with state health departments to collect and analyze infection data, but few facilities are required to report.
The new initiative aims to "protect the public from infections" and "enhaance national preparedness for current and future pandemics," a press release said.