September 21, 2026

The CDC's Q3 2026 NHSN Newsletter highlights important surveillance updates, including CLABSI reporting corrections, SAAR rebaseline resources, antimicrobial resistance reporting changes, and dialysis updates.

The CDC's Q3 2026 NHSN Newsletter highlights important surveillance updates, including CLABSI reporting corrections, SAAR rebaseline resources, antimicrobial resistance reporting changes, and dialysis updates.

September 17, 2026

NHSN Release 14.3.0 includes technical updates across several components. For dialysis events dated January 1, 2027, or later, Dialysis Event CDA submissions will transition to R4-D4 and require Sex and Access Used for Dialysis at Time of Event. The update also permits multiple race and ethnicity values and adds catheter-graft hybrid as an access option; the denominator CDA transitions to R4-D4 without changes to denominator requirements.

Dialysis facilities using electronic CDA submission should confirm that their vendors are prepared for the R4-D4 transition and the new required fields before 2027. Facilities should test updated submissions and revise validation procedures as needed. This is an NHSN technical implementation change, not a new CMS payment rule.

September 17, 2026

NHSN Release 14.3.0 updates individual-level and CSV reporting workflows for the 2026–2027 COVID-19 and influenza vaccination season. Changes affect the Healthcare Personnel Safety and Long-Term Care Facility components and include updated vaccine-product selections, reporting forms, import processes, and calculations.

Facilities should review their 2026–2027 vaccination-reporting forms, CSV templates, validation procedures, and staff instructions before submitting seasonal data. Confirm that NHSN users and software vendors are working from the current specifications. The release supports NHSN reporting but does not, by itself, create a new CMS reporting mandate for every healthcare setting.

January 1, 2026

NHSN released its 2026 Patient Safety Component Manual, including a summary of significant changes effective January 1, 2026. These updates impact surveillance definitions, reporting instructions, and various requirements across the Patient Safety Component modules.

Changes to NHSN definitions can change whether an event is reportable. Infection preventionists should review the annual changes before applying the 2026 surveillance definitions and update internal tools, education, and case-review processes as needed.