Missouri Hospital Association condemns reporting switch by White House

The Missouri Hospital Association is speaking out about a change in COVID-19 reporting on the federal level.

Association spokesperson Dave Dillon said the organization does not have reliable information on the virus after the White House last week instructed hospitals to report data to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It’s like someone went around and shot the light bulbs out and suddenly we are dark," Dillon said. “Our capability to make good decisions has been impacted as a result of the change.”

The association has used the date to summarize how each of the state's seven regions is doing in terms of available hospital beds, ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Federal officials said the reporting switch was made to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to more quickly respond to hospitals' needs for medications and other supplies.

Read more from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.