Alicia Cole, an actress and hospital infection survivor, last Friday launched her own initiative to finally pass an infection reporting law in California. Visit her website: http://www.aliciacole.com.

After experiencing a life threatening hospital infection herself...

Cole now advocates nationally for better infection prevention safety standards and requiring hospitals to make public their infection and death rates. "Consumers have a right to know if there is an infection problem at their hospital. When we choose a restaurant it is not just based on reputation, but by the letter grade for cleanliness in the window. We should be able to make the same informed decisions about our healthcare."

Both SB158 and SB1058 would require public reporting of hospital acquired infection rates, as well as screening for the 'superbug' MRSA and improved hospital cleaning practices. California currently lags behind 22 other states which have laws requiring public reporting.

Cole, who is still healing and undergoing daily hyperbaric oxygen treatments, is urging fellow survivors and family members of victims to contact their legislators and ask them to support these bills.

Thanks Alica for the great work to pass real reform for hospitals in California!

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comments (4)

Comments

1 Posted by Melanie Cross at 07/31/08 11:41 PM

I agree!!! In 2005, my daughter was given a life-threatening infection at St. Joe's hospital.
In her case it was the arrogance of the surgeon & the hospital that helped him hide that nearly cost her life. Dr. Quillici attempted to access a port under her skin.. without any hand washing... any gloves, any wipes. I watched, helplessly as he repeatedly used a needle to try to find the port. She was bleeding & he continued. When she first turned up with the infection I confided in the hospital infection control person. She battled the infection all summer. At one point the devise was removed & Dr. Quillici disposed of the evidence. We had requested cultures be run from the port & the manufacture was expecting the devise to be returned. No one stopped him from disposing of the devise. She was in & out of the hospital… One admission the infection overcame her. She “coded”. She was in ICU & rushed to a 6-hour emergency surgery. She fought to live & she does… no thanks to Dr. Quillici. Her recovery was long, an open wound for months, IV antibiotics.. And to think it could have all been prevented if only Dr. Quillici would have just stopped to wash his hands.
Melanie Cross
mscross@sbcglobal.net

2 Posted by Doug Kohl at 08/22/08 02:21 PM

There is a new white paper out on the lack of infection control in radiology. If anyone you know had been exposed to a hospital acquired infection and undergone MRI or CT scanning in the hospital you would be interested in reading this white paper and I can send you a copy.

Send me an e-mail with "Infection Control White paper" in the subject line and I will send you a copy for your review.

Warm Regards,
Doug Kohl

dkohl@mlode.com

3 Posted by Doreen Mulman at 09/22/08 05:35 PM

As a fellow survivor of MRSA and Necrotizing Fasciitis, I appreciate and completely support Alicia Cole's efforts and have offered my time to help in the fight. We really do deserve to know which hospitals have the highest infection rates and which hospitals understand how to treat infections effectively.

My father contracted MRSA, C. Diff and VRE infections from KAISER-PERMANANTE (Panorama City, CA) *repeatedly* during the final 18 months of his life. His caseworker lead us to believe that this was *normal* because of his age (mid 80's).

As his in-home health care caregiver, I became infected and lost a large portion of my right arm, including my entire armpit and part of my breast to "flesh eating bacteria" (NF). I was lucky, however, since all my doctors (at Olive View-UCLA) expected me to die.

When I finally returned to my position as Dad's caregiver, his caseworker looked at my now badly scarred and disfigured arm and said "How do you think that happened?"

As if she didn't know! I find it hard to believe that hospitals are *just now* wising up to the concept of MRSA spreading from the hospital into the community at large!

Anyway, Dad finally passed away, a few months shy of his 88th birthday, and I am 100% convinced he would have lived longer had he not suffered so many HAIs and other incompetent treatment at the hands of his health plan provider.

Thank you for this website and many thanks to Alicia for her efforts and support.

Doreen Mulman
North Hollywood, CA

http://doreen.mkbmemorial.com/NF/

4 Posted by Doreen Mulman at 09/22/08 05:44 PM

As a fellow survivor of MRSA and Necrotizing Fasciitis, I appreciate and completely support Alicia Cole's efforts and have offered my time to help in the fight. We really do deserve to know which hospitals have the highest infection rates and which hospitals understand how to treat infections effectively.



My father contracted MRSA, C. Diff and VRE infections from KAISER-PERMANANTE (Panorama City, CA) *repeatedly* during the final 18 months of his life. His caseworker lead us to believe that this was *normal* because of his age (mid 80's).



As his in-home health care caregiver, I became infected and lost a large portion of my right arm, including my entire armpit and part of my breast to "flesh eating bacteria" (NF). I was lucky, however, since all my doctors (at Olive View-UCLA) expected me to die.



When I finally returned to my position as Dad's caregiver, his caseworker looked at my now badly scarred and disfigured arm and said "How do you think that happened?"



As if she didn't know! I find it hard to believe that hospitals are *just now* wising up to the concept of MRSA spreading from the hospital into the community at large!



Anyway, Dad finally passed away, a few months shy of his 88th birthday, and I am 100% convinced he would have lived longer had he not suffered so many HAIs and other incompetent treatment at the hands of his health plan provider.



Thank you for this website and many thanks to Alicia for her efforts and support.



Doreen Mulman
North Hollywood, CA



http://doreen.mkbmemorial.com/NF/

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