Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are among the leading causes of death in the United States. HAIs put the patient at risk, increase the days of hospitalization required for patients and add to healthcare costs. HAIs are largely preventable with widely publicized interventions, such as better hygiene and advanced scientifically tested techniques for surgical patients.

HAI measure data are collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) via the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) tool. Hospitals must enroll and complete NHSN training to comply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) program requirements.

CDC strongly recommends:

• Multiple users complete the required NHSN training
• Multiple users have access to the NHSN tool
• Monthly data submission

CDC and CMS Joint Reminder on NHSN Reporting

CDC's NHSN is the nation's most comprehensive medical event tracking system and is currently utilized by more than 16,000 U.S. healthcare facilities. NHSN provides critical data to guide prevention efforts aimed at protecting patients.

CDC and CMS are committed to ensuring data accuracy and reliability for guiding prevention priorities and protecting patients. Identifying infections and making sure that patients receive the highest quality of care is our top priority.

In response to anecdotal reports of intentional non-reporting of infection data, CDC and CMS are jointly issuing a reminder that addresses concerns about healthcare facility non-reporting of healthcare-associated infections events. While there is no evidence of a widespread issue, CDC and CMS want to emphasize that accurate reporting to NHSN through strict adherence to the NHSN definitions is critical.

Download the full reminder from or read more about NHSN reporting on the CDC website.

Update to Baseline Period in CMS Programs and Reports

CMS includes the HAI measures in the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction and Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Programs. Additionally, CMS makes the HAI measures results (that is, the standardized infection ratios [SIRs]) available to hospitals via the Performance Report (formerly known as the Facility, State, and National Report) and publicly reports the HAI measure results each quarter on the Compare tool on Medicare.gov.

CDC uses data from a baseline period to develop the risk adjustment models for calculating predicted infections for each of the HAI measures, which is the denominator of hospitals’ SIRs. Since 2016, CDC has been using data collected in calendar year (CY) 2015 to determine the standard population. As announced in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule (pages 36954–36955 and 36963–36965), CDC will use data collected in CY 2022 to determine the baseline to calculate HAI SIRs for the Hospital VBP and HAC Reduction Programs beginning with CY 2025 data. Below is the anticipated timeline during which CMS programs and reports will begin to use the 2022 baselined SIRs:

• Q1 2026 | Performance Report displays both the 2015 and 2022 baselined SIRs. The report is accessible via the Hospital Quality Reporting system. You can view a brief instructional video on how to access your report.
• Q3 2026 | HAI measure results with the 2022 baseline are shared with hospitals during the fall 2026 preview period. The fall 2026 release will include Q1–Q4 2025 data and display on the Compare tool on Medicare.gov.
• Q1 2027 | The 2022 baselined SIRs are used in the FY 2029 Hospital VBP Program year and displayed in the Baseline Measures Report (data from CY 2025).
• Q3 2027 | The 2022 baselined SIRs are used in the FY 2028 HAC Reduction Program year and displayed in the Hospital-Specific Report (data from CY 2025 and CY 2026).
• Q1 2028 | The FY 2028 HAC Reduction Program measure results are publicly reported on the data catalog on Data.cms.gov.
• Q3 2028 | The 2022 baselined SIRs are used in the FY 2029 Hospital VBP Program year and displayed in the Percentage Payment Summary Report (data from CY 2025).
• Q1 2029 | The FY 2029 Hospital VBP Program measure results are publicly reported on the data catalog on Data.cms.gov.

The information below outlines when the 2015 baselined SIRs will be used for the last time across CMS programs and reporting tools:

• Performance Report: The 2015 baselined SIRs will appear in the Performance Report for the last time with Q4 2026 data.
• Preview Period: The 2015 baselined SIRs will be shared with hospitals for the last time during the summer 2026 preview period, which reflects Q4 2024–Q3 2025 data.
• HAC Reduction Program: The 2015 baselined SIRs will be used for the last time in the HAC Reduction Program in FY 2027, with data from CY 2024 and CY 2025.
• Hospital VBP Program: The 2015 baselined SIRs will be used for the last time in the Hospital VBP Program in FY 2028, with data from CY 2026.