Vital Events Registry
This section is responsible for office and field work primarily involving the collection, processing and dissemination of medical and demographic data obtained from vital statistics documents (births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages and divorces).
Live Birth Registration
The Vital Events Registry is a statewide data system responsible for collecting information on all births that occur in Pennsylvania. The Vital Events Registry is part of the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program (VSCP) administered by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Through this program, the CDC provides funding for states, such as Pennsylvania, to ensure the birth data is as complete, timely and accurate as possible.
Data Collection
A live birth is the expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the period of gestation, which shows any evidence of life at any moment after such expulsion or extraction. All live births occurring in Pennsylvania are required to be reported to the Department of Health by the Vital Statistics Law of 1953 and Title 28 of the Pennsylvania Code. Births must be reported within 10 days of the event. Every year over 150,000 births occur in Pennsylvania. Since 1906, over 17 million babies have been born in Pennsylvania. About 97% of all births occur in a hospital or birthing center.
Birth data for babies born in hospital and birthing centers must be filed by the hospital or birthing center using the Department of Health's electronic birth registration system, called EBC for short. Birth certificates for babies born at home must be filed by the person who was attending the birth.
The type of data collected includes demographics (age, gender, where they live, etc.) and medical information about the mother and baby. The Department also collects birth data through data exchange with other states when Pennsylvania residents give birth in another state.
Death Registration
The Vital Events Registry is a statewide data system responsible for collecting information on all deaths that occur in Pennsylvania. The Vital Events Registry is part of the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program (VSCP) administered by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Through this program, the CDC provides funding for states, such as Pennsylvania, to ensure the death data is as complete, timely and accurate as possible.
Data Collection
All deaths occurring in Pennsylvania are required to be reported to the Department of Health by the Vital Statistics Law of 1953. Deaths must be reported within 96 hours of the event. Every year, over 125,000 deaths occur in Pennsylvania. Since 1906, over 12 million deaths have been reported in Pennsylvania. Nearly 75% of deaths occur in hospitals and nursing homes every year.
The registration of deaths encompasses the Division of Vital Records, Division of Statistical Registries, Division of Statistical Support, 160 local registrars, approximately 1,700 funeral homes, 67 medical examiners/coroners plus their deputies, 270 hospitals, 815 long term care facilities, and approximately 22,000 physicians. The filing of the death certificate is the responsibility of the funeral director or person acting as such, however others share the responsibility for the completion of the death certificate. If the death occurred at a hospital or nursing home, staff at the facility work with the physician/coroner along with the funeral director to complete the certificate of death.
The type of data collected includes demographics (age, gender, where they live, etc.) and medical information about the decedent. The Department also collects death data through data exchange with other states when Pennsylvania residents die in other states.
Fetal Death Registration
The Vital Events Registry is a statewide data system responsible for collecting information on all fetal deaths that occur in Pennsylvania. The Vital Events Registry is part of the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program (VSCP) administered by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Through this program, the CDC provides funding for states, such as Pennsylvania, to ensure the fetal death data is as complete, timely and accurate as possible.
Data Collection
Fetal death is the expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception after sixteen weeks gestation, which shows no life after such expulsion or extraction. All fetal deaths occurring in Pennsylvania are required to be reported to the Department of Health by the Vital Statistics Law of 1953. Deaths and fetal deaths must be reported within 96 hours of the event. Every year, nearly 1,500 fetal deaths occur in Pennsylvania.
The registration of fetal deaths encompasses the Division of Vital Records, Division of Statistical Registries, Division of Statistical Support, local registrars, funeral homes, hospitals, and physicians. The filing of the fetal death record is the responsibility of the funeral director or person acting as such, however others share the responsibility for the completion of the fetal death record. If the fetal death occurred at a hospital, staff at the facility work with the physician along with the funeral director to complete the certificate of fetal death.
The type of data collected includes demographics (age, gender, where they live, etc.) and medical information about the mother and fetus. The Department also collects fetal death data through data exchange with other states when Pennsylvania residents die in other states.
Additional Information
Health Statistics and Research