Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Bloodstream Infections in California Hospitals

State of California data details hospital-reported cases of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) bloodstream infections. The dataset includes hospital-onset VRE BSI rates, calculated per 10,000 patient days, and is stratified by hospital type and bed size. Data is published annually by the California Department of Public Health for public reporting on healthcare-associated infection prevention.

Use Cases

• Analyze hospital-onset VRE BSI rate trends across different hospital types to identify high-risk facilities.
• Compare reported VRE BSI case counts between community hospitals of varying bed sizes.
• Study the relationship between total patient days and the calculated VRE BSI rate per 10,000 patient days.

Strengths

• Data is mandated by California Health and Safety Code, ensuring consistent reporting from all general acute care hospitals.
• Rates are stratified by hospital type and, for community hospitals, by bed size, enabling peer group comparisons.
• Data is updated annually, with the last update recorded in January 2026.

Limitations

• VRE BSI rates are not risk-adjusted, which may affect comparisons between hospitals with different patient populations.
• The dataset's specific row count, column count, and temporal coverage are not provided in the input.
• Data quality may be affected by variations in hospital infection control practices and surveillance methods.

Provenance

Source

California Department of Public Health (CDPH), sourced from the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

Collection Method

Hospitals report VRE bloodstream infection cases to CDPH via the NHSN following its protocols and definitions.

Freshness

Updated annually, last updated 2026-01-23.

Geography

California, United States.