Healthcare Safety Unit
U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is November 18-24, 2024. The purpose of USAAW is to raise awareness of the importance of appropriate antibiotic and antifungal use and the threat antimicrobial resistance poses to people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. Let’s help fight antimicrobial resistance and keep our Texas communities healthy!
Learn more about Healthcare Safety Unit’s Antimicrobial Stewardship and USAAW.
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The Healthcare Safety Unit at the Texas Department of State Health Services began in 2010, with the adoption of mandatory healthcare safety date reporting requirements for healthcare facilities in Texas. As the program expanded and evolved in response to the ever-present need for high quality, safe healthcare in Texas, the Healthcare Safety Unit was established.
Our Vision, Mission and Values
Vision: Helping to achieve safe, quality healthcare that improves the well-being of everyone in Texas.
Mission: Promoting safe and quality healthcare through awareness, education, transparency, monitoring and response.
Values:
- Empower Texans to make informed decisions about their healthcare
- Conduct duties with respect and dignity for all members of our community
- Provide expertise to maintain the highest healthcare safety standards
- Deliver evidence-based guidance to healthcare partners
- Strive for continuous improvement, excellence, professionalism and innovation
- Respond rapidly to public health threats in Texas
Get in Touch
Phone
512-776-7676
Fax
512-776-7253
Mailing Address
Mail Code 4559 PO BOX 149347
1100 West 49th Street
Suite T202
Austin, TX 78714
AntibioticStewardship@dshs.texas.gov
For questions related to the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team at DSHS.
HAIOutbreak@dshs.texas.gov
For questions related to healthcare-associated infection (HAI) outbreaks and investigations.
HAITexas@dshs.texas.gov
For questions related to state mandated healthcare-associated infections (HAI) reporting for general hospitals, assistance with Texas Healthcare Safety Network (TxHSN) troubleshooting or guidance, assistance with certain National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) questions, or to contact the Healthcare Safety Unit’s training team.
ICAR@dshs.texas.gov
For questions related to infection prevention and control guidance, assistance with management of healthcare outbreaks, requests for infection control assessments (ICARs) in healthcare facilities, or to contact DSHS Healthcare-Associated Infections Epidemiologists.
MDROTexas@dshs.texas.gov
For questions related to multidrug resistant organisms (MDRO) that are reportable in Texas, alerts for non-reportable antimicrobial resistant organisms, or assistance with requests for the antimicrobial resistant laboratory network (AR Lab Network).
PAETexas@dshs.texas.gov
For questions related to reporting preventable adverse events (PAEs) for general hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers or assistance with the Texas Healthcare Safety Network (TxHSN).
Sharps.Injury@dshs.texas.gov
For questions or guidance related to reporting needlestick or other sharp instrument injuries.
Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology Section
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- Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology Data Requests
- Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology Health Practitioner Guidance and Training
- Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology Mission and Overview of Related Branches
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- International Travel
- School Communicable Disease Chart
- Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response