Dear Colleagues,



I am happy to announce the publication of CDC's A Reference Guide for Certification of Deaths in the Event of a Natural, Human-induced, or Chemical/Radiological Disaster(https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/vsrg/vsrg01.pdf). Thank you so much for your time and input in creating this new CDC resource.



We are excited to get this published as the inaugural issue of a new NCHS series - Vital Statistics Reporting Guidance available at a new website https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/reporting-guidance.htm and we see the need now more than ever for this disaster-specific reporting guidance given the recent 2017 hurricane disasters.



We encourage you to share this with your Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Directors, Vital Statistics office, Medical Examiners/Coroner office(s), Mass Fatality Planner(s), and State Epidemiologists as this guide can facilitate a common understand of what defines a disaster-related death and best practices for reporting these on a death certificate. Having this common understanding will improve timing and accuracy of mortality data during an event across multiple agencies.



In addition, CDC has develop Death Scene Investigation After Natural Disaster or Other Weather-Related Events Toolkit to assist improved data collection at the scene.https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/disaster/docs/DisasterDeathSceneToolkit508.pdf



Feel free to contact me with any questions. Thank you again for your support and patience!!!



Rebecca



Rebecca S. Noe MN, MPH, FNP-BC

CAPT, USPHS

Epidemiologist | Capacity Building Branch

770-488-3437

CDC | Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response

1600 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329