News and Articles

• Vermont: Officials say patients must be vigilant to control infectionsVT Public Radio (August 18, 2008)
  Hospital officials say doctors and their patients need to be constantly vigilant to prevent infections, especially from those caused by new strains of drug resistant bacteria.
• EditorialUnion Leader (August 18, 2008)
  Karen Freeman: We deserve to know what dangers lurk in our local hospitals
• A push for hospital compliance in NHUnion Leader (August 17, 2008)
  Two lawmakers want the commissioner of Health and Human Services to explain why the state isn't enforcing a law requiring the public reporting of hospital-acquired infection rates.
• Beyond MRSA: The new generation of resistant infectionsThe New Yorker (August 11, 2008)
  The new generation of resistant infections is almost impossible to treat.
• SC Hospital infection numbers releasedCharleston Post & Courier (August 6, 2008)
  Six more months worth of data cataloging hospital- associated infections in South Carolina was made public Monday.
• Infection rate law mired in sick bayNashua Telgraph (August 15, 2008)
  The state Legislature passed a law in 2006 that called for making public the infection rates at state hospitals. Today, the release of that critical information still appears to be years away.
• NH health-care workers handwashing put at 69% Union Leader (August 10, 2008)
  Although proper hand-washing would go a long way toward eliminating hospital-acquired infections, a statewide survey showed only 69 percent of health care workers did so before and after contact with patients and their environments at hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.
• Infections: Hospitals stay mumNH Union Leader (August 10, 2008)
  Former House member Leo Pepino of Manchester vowed to eliminate hospital-acquired infections in New Hampshire after his wife battled three different cancers over the years, only to be further burdened by infections she picked up while hospitalized.
• Hand Washing: Time Well SpentWashington Post (August 5, 2008)
  We Need Carrots and Sticks to Reduce Infection Rates.
• Friends to help Manchester family bury young momNH Union Leader (July 29, 2008)
  Shortly after being released from the hospital after his birth, Takea Harris developed an infection in the area of her C-section incision. She died a few weeks after giving birth.
• Hospitals won't get payments for errorsThe Wichita Eagle (July 27, 2008)
  Kansas' largest health insurers say they no longer will pay for avoidable medical complications that happen in hospitals.
• New Study Finds Surgical Errors Cost Nearly $1.5 Billion Annually (July 28, 2008)
  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a study that found insurers paid an additional $28,218 (52 percent more) and an additional $19,480 (48 percent more) for surgery patients who experienced acute respiratory failure or post-operative infections, respectively, compared with patients who did not experience either error.
• Hospital tries to win back patientsFresno Bee (July 25, 2008)
  It has been more than a week since Saint Agnes Medical Center resumed open-heart surgery after patient infection problems caused a shutdown of the program -- and business isn't what it used to be.
• Hospitals, using single-bed rooms and improved ventilation, work to get healthierLA Times (July 28, 2008)
  Architects are designing new facilities with stemming the spread of infection in mind.
• Who will pay for errors in your medical care? Greenville Online (July 26, 2008)
  And according to Consumers Union, hospital-related errors and infections kill nearly 200,000 Americans and injure another 2.6 million every year, adding billions to the cost of health care.
• MRSA carriers have persistent infection risk Rueters (July 25, 2008)
  People who harbor methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for more than 1 year still have a substantial risk of MRSA-related infection and death, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
• Single rooms may help in preventing infection Canada.com Leader Post (July 21, 2008)
  Research suggests that single-bed rooms can reduce infection rates by up to 45 per cent.
• Local Doctor Finding New Ways to Prevent Hospital Infections Fox 11 News- LA (July 15, 2008)
  One doctor is fighting back using a common-sense plan of attack hopital infections.
• She expected routine surgery -- but not flesh-eating bacteria LA Times (July 13, 2008)
  Two years later, Alicia Cole says she's still recovering from her experience at Providence Saint Joseph. The hospital says it ranks 'above average' in the state for surgical infection prevention.
• Governor Rendell Issues Executive Order Regarding Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council Earthtimes (July 8, 2008)
  Executive Order from Governor Rendell authorizes agency to continue. The order expires 11/30/08 or until PHC4 is reauthorized.
• No hospitals named in tales of infection (July 9, 2008)
  Three years after a law requiring hospitals to report their infection rates to the state passed, the numbers have been released -- sort of.
• New York Hospital Infection Rates Rise (July 9, 2008)
  From now on the NY Department of Health aims at releasing similar data every year for each hospital separately.
• Colorado Hospital Acquired Infections Data Now Available Online (June 30, 2008)
  The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment today released the first Health Facility Acquired Infections Bulletin. View the full report.
• NY Health Department Issues First Hospital Infection Report (July 8, 2008)
  View the report: Hospital-Acquired Infection Reporting System - 2007
• CT: State Announces Healthcare Infection Control Education Campaign(June 2008)
  Department Public Health Handwashing Campaign Kick-Off (VIDEO)
• MRSA Rates Tied to Hospital UnderstaffingU.S. News and World Report (June 24, 2008)
  "The drive toward greater efficiency by reducing the number of hospital beds and increasing patient throughput has led to highly stressed health-care systems with unwelcome side effects," the researchers wrote.
• Hospital survey finds more targeting resistant bacteria Augusta Chronicle (June 18, 2008)
  A survey released Tuesday by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology found that 76 percent had increased efforts in the past year to control the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
• Bill requires hospitals to report infections SF Chronicle (May 30, 2008)
  California hospitals would be required to step up prevention of drug-resistant infections and, for the first time, report any such cases to health authorities under a bill that passed the state Senate this week.
• Gut superbug causing more illnesses, deathsUSA Today (May 27, 2008)
  The number of people hospitalized with a dangerous intestinal superbug has been growing by more than 10,000 cases a year, according to a new study.
• Hospital mortality rates continue to drop across New York, but infections are increasing LowHud.com (May 26, 2008)
  Since January 2007, all acute-care hospitals have been required by law to report certain hospital-acquired infections to the state.
• PA: C. diff bacteria infection sickens, kills more people The Patriot News (May 26, 2008)
  The number of hospital patients with C. diff increased by 200 percent from 2000 to 2005, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a government agency.
• Billed for wrong surgery? Hospitals revise policy Crain's Detroit Business (May 26, 2008)
  Should hospitals bill patients or insurance companies for operating on the wrong leg or charge somebody extra for medical care when they fall or are dropped due to the negligence of a health care institution?
• Feds Buy Newspaper Ads to Tout Hospital Comparisons Wall Street Journal Health Blog (May 21, 2008)
  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is shelling out $1.9 million for ads in 58 daily newspapers in 49 states comparing hospitals to one another.
• Canada: Government's Response to Burlington Hospital Deaths is Inadequate Canadian Union of Public Employees (May 19, 2008)
  The response of the Minister of Health to the 62 patient deaths at the Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington is inadequate, Michael Hurley, President of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE said this morning at a press conference in Queen's Park.
• Hospital acquired infections can be deadly KCRA-TV (May 12, 2008)
  A Sacramento TV station highlights the dangers of hospital infections and surveys hospitals on whether they will make their infection rates public (see story sidebar for their responses).
• N.H. health providers sign on to infection-prevention programNashua Telegraph (May 13, 2008)
  "High Five" is designed to make sure hand hygiene is an integral part of every patient contact in health care facilities.
• Hospital infection data might be made public Columbus Dispatch (May 10, 2008)
  As Nancy Oliver spoke of her father's stay in an intensive-care unit, and of the infection that eventually killed him, her voice was calm, her delivery direct.
• Kaiser Permanente On Hospital-Acquired InfectionsKCRA (May 11, 2008)
  Kaiser Permanente answers questions about if and when their facilities will make their infection rates available to the public.
• UC Davis Medical Center On Hospital-Acquired InfectionsKCRA (May 11, 2008)
  The hospital answers questions about why they don't currently make their infection rates available to the pulblic.
• Actress Raises Awareness of Hospital Acquired Infections Nursezone.com
  Actress and now patient safety after contracting Necrotizing Fasciitis (NF), also known as Man-Eating Flesh Disease.
• Panel to weigh whether to have hospitals report infections Cleveland Plain Dealer (May 6, 2008)
  A state panel will consider whether Ohio hospitals should have to publicly report certain infections contracted by patients.
• Hospital infections: Tracking killer that lies in wait Orange County Register (May 5, 2008)
  A bill introduced in the California Senate by Sen. Elaine Alquist would require hospitals to publicly report their infection rates.
• Editorial: OUR OPINIONS: Better hospital choices Atlanta Journal Constitution (May 5, 2008)
  Online information about satisfaction and costs can help patients make more informed decisions
• A Bad Germ Gets Worse MSNBC (May 2, 2008)
  Rising rates of the bacterial infection Clostridium difficile, known as C. diff, are sparking worries about a virulent form of the bug that can cause severe diarrhea - and death.
• Don't let a hospital kill you CNN (May 1, 2008)
  Josh Nahum is one of 99,000 people who die each year because of infections acquired in the hospital.
• Bay Area hospital collaboration reduces hospital-acquired infections April 21, 2008 (SF Business Times)
  Approximately 720 infections were likely prevented, saving an estimated 194 lives and nearly $4 million in unnecessary hospital costs.
• Review Urges Aggressive MRSA Screening for Health Workers April 21, 2008 (Forbes.com)
  In hospitals and other health-care facilities with endemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), aggressive screening of health-care workers should be combined with other measures to help reduce infection rates, new research suggests.
• CSI Techniques Could Help Battle Against Hospital Infections April 27, 2008 (Digital Journal)
  Investigators in the Netherlands have trialed methods used by forensic scientists at crime scenes to highlight infection risks in their hospital.
• The Fight Against Hospital-Acquired Infections April 18, 2008 (Marketwatch)
  The U.S. Government Accountability Office weighed in this week on the state of hospital infections in a report that urged the Department of Health and Human Services to play a bigger role in overseeing recommended practices for countering infections.
• Report Says Feds Should Do More to Stop Hospital Infections April 17, 2008 (U.S. News & World Report)
  Ten years ago, Edward Lawton's life took an unpredictable twist: While hospitalized and recovering from spinal surgery, he acquired several severe infections. Resistant to treatment, they ravaged his body, damaging his bones. Now, he is confined to a wheelchair.
• More federal action needed on hospital infections
  Consumers Union calls for bolder federal steps to protect patients from hospital infections. Statement of Lisa McGiffert Director, Consumers Union’s Stop Hospital Infections to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee On Healthcare -Acquired Infections
• New PA Report on hospital infection rates (April 10, 2008)
  Articles covering the report release: Pa. hospitals report more than 30,000 infections in 2006 AP; Area hospitals mixed on infection report The Tribune Democrat, Pennsylvania's New Hospital Infection Report US News and World Report
• Errors don’t warrant pay, insurers say Chattonooga Times Free Press (April 7, 2008)
  As the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services moves to deny Medicare payments for conditions caused by hospital mistakes, hospital executives here are watching private insurers in Tennessee and nationwide follow suit.
• Preventing MRSA: Why I wear a bowtie Consumer Reports on Health (February 15, 2008)
  Neckties worn by doctors in hospitals have been implicated as carriers of infection causing bacteria
• Hospital’s bloodstream infections down to zero Nurse.com (March 24, 2008)
  A bundle of infection control best practices has brought catheter-related bloostream infections down to zero at a northern California hospital
• Are California hospitals doing enough to stop MRSA? KPIX-TV San Francisco (March 20, 2008)
  The public is kept in the dark about MRSA and other hospital infections
• Making hospitals pay for own mistakes CBS Evening News (March 17, 2008)
  Some Insurance and states are refusing to foot the bill when hospitals make preventable errors
• MRSA bill takes heat at Capitol Columbia Tribune (March 16, 2008)
  HB 1546, would have required testing for MRSA in patients and doctors, isolation of infected patients and public reporting of MRSA hospital infection rates.
• Hospital seeing decline in infectious diseases WFMZ-TV (March 14, 2008)
  Pennsylvania hospital infection report has prompted poor performing hospital to improve patient care and reduce infections
• Many in NJ are medical errors victims The Record (March 6, 2008)
  More than a third of New Jersey residents surveyed say they or a family member have been a victim of a medical error, and 90 percent would like the state to publicly report the number of errors at each hospital.
• Accountability in mind Concord Monitor (March 2, 2008)
  Sisters watched their mother suffer from infection in hospital
• Patients still stuck with bill for medical errors MSNBC.com (Feb. 29, 2008)
  11 states waive fees for worst mistakes, but most will charge you or insurer
• Medicare won’t pay hospitals for medical errors Associated Press (February 19, 2008)
  Medicare will start hitting hospitals where it hurts in October, and other insurers are hot on the trail.
• Superbug order creates controversy Sacramento Bee (February 15, 2008)
  California now requires reporting of serious MRSA cases, but leaves out cases acquired in hospitals
• California hospitals must report serious community acquired MRSA cases San Francisco Chronicle (February 15, 2008)
  But new state requirement fails to require reporting of hospital acquired MRSA
• State to launch crackdown on hospital infection rates Boston Globe (February 14, 2008)
  Panel OKs plan for inspections and report cards
• Care & Concern: Dianne Parker Augusta Chronicle (January 20, 2008)
  After husband's death, Dianne Parker becomes advocate for more responsible hospitals
• Keeping it clean, safe for patients (February 3, 2008)
  Nurse credited for new system that prevents bloodstream infections. A Sacramento-area hospital is emerging as a nationwide leader in the push to eliminate deadly infections picked up by unsuspecting hospital patients.
• Medicaid will not cover errors in Pa. Philadelphia Enquirer (January 23, 2008)
  Gov. Rendell said hospitals will no longer be paid for costs to correct serious medical mistakes.
• The dirty truth about docs that don’t wash MSNBC (January 25, 2008)
  Patients shouldn’t be shy about asking doctors to hit the sink, experts say.
• Bundled hospital practices help prevent infections USA Today (January 16, 2008)
  Hospitals are attacking potentially fatal infections by marrying a series of proven medical treatments in an approach called a "bundle."
• Editorial: Beating the staph superbug Los Angeles Times (January 14, 2008)
  The MRSA staph infection is a deadly threat. It's time for a broad-based response
• Hospitals score poorly on preventing urinary tract infections US News & World Report (January 9, 2008)
  Most don't even do basic monitoring of catheterized patients, study found
• Hospital Strategies to Prevent UTI Found Wanting MedPage Today (January 3, 2008)
  New survey finds hospitals not doing enough to prevent urinary tract infections.
• California bill will address hospital infection rates and the problem of MRSA LA Times (December 20, 2007)
  Articles highlight the work of activist Carole Moss, whose son, Nile, died of a MRSA infection and nine hospitals that prevented 600 infectionsusing a data-mining program to flag infections early to stop them from being passed to other patients.
• Making hospitals pay for their mistakes New York Times (December 19, 2007)
  Medicare will limit payments to hospitals for certain avoidable mistakes like catheter-associated urinary tract infections
• UK: MRSA test on new patients reduces infections by 40% UK Times Online (December 19, 2007)
  A quick test for the drug-resistant bacterium MRSA has helped a London hospital to cut infection rates by almost 40 per cent in a single year.
• Hospitals marshal resources against MRSA USA Today (December 2, 2007)
  A new federal report on MRSA has prompted hospitals to step up their fight against the superbug.
• Legislation calls for testing patients for MRSA Albany Times Union (November 22, 2007)
  New York lawmakers consider MRSA screening.
• Idaho hopes to get handle on potentially deadly staph Idaho Statesman (November 15, 2007)
  Health and Welfare Board considers rule requiring health care facilities to report non-fatal cases of MRSA.
• Gregoire takes on superbug MRSA The Seattle Times (November 15, 2007)
  Gov. Christine Gregoire wants medical laboratories around the state to report cases of invasive MRSA infections and instructed the health department to convene a panel of scientific experts to recommend the best, scientifically sound strategies to monitor and curb antibiotic-resistant organisms.
• Hospitals slow to battle superbug Portland Tribune (November 16, 2007)
  Locally, only VA screens for fast-spreading MRSA bacteria.
• Why Aren’t The Feds Fighting MRSA Harder? AP (November, 7, 2007)
  Hospitals Are Adopting Superbug Screening, But The CDC Hasn’t Ordered Tests
• Top Doc: Staph "The Cockroach Of Bacteria" AP (November, 7, 2007)
  CDC Head Says MRSA Infections Can Be Avoided With Common Sense Hygiene
• Testing Patients for MRSA CBS Nightly News (November, 7, 2007)
  Nineteen thousand Americans die every year from MRSA, and most contract the disease in hospitals. Critics say testing for the bacteria should be compulsory.
• Infection data offers partial view of hospitals Columbia Tribune (November 4, 2007)
  Missouri released surgical infection data for all hospitals for the first time in the state’s history.
• Three part series on Acinetobacter Baumannii, a bacteria infecting soldiers returning from Iraq. - News Channel 8, Washington, DC (November, 2007)
  Exclusive: Insurgents in the Bloodstream: (Part 1),(Part 2), (Part 3)
• Best Defense Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria: New York Times (October 26, 2007)
  Wash Your Hands
• Staph often adds danger, days to patient’s stay Portland Tribune (October 26, 2007)
  New law requires hospitals to start reporting infections in 2009
• Test of patients can stop staph super germ Associated Press (October 25, 2007)
  Testing all new hospital patients for a dangerous staph “superbug” could help wipe out a germ that likely kills more Americans than AIDS.
• Putting Superbugs on the Defensive Wall Street Journal (October 23, 2007)
  Hospitals Begin to Tout Ability to Control Infection; Mining the Available Data
• Murphy’s bill would air hospital infection rates Pittsburgh Post Gazette (October 19, 2007)
  Representative Tim Murphy has introduced a bill in Congress that would require hospital infection reporting nationwide.
• Deadly superbug is here – why isn’t it tracked? Seattle Times (October 18, 2007)
  Unlike mumps or measles, MRSA cases need not be reported to public-health authorities in this state.
• Governments urged to make killer bugs a priority USA Today (October 17, 2007)
  Renewed calls for more aggressive government action to help prevent the spread of the "super bug"
• Drug-Resistant Staph Germ's Toll Is Higher Than Thought Washington Post (October 17, 2007)
  MRSA is killing more people in the United States each year than the AIDS virus.
• Pressure is on hospitals to stamp out bacterial bugs USA Today (October 15, 2007)
  Physicians, safety advocates and government officials are mobilizing to prevent the infections that have stricken an increasing number of hospital patients over the past three decades.
• Deadly mystery disease follows troops home San Francisco Chronicle (Oct. 7, 2007)
  Infections seen in military hospitals in Iraq spread to U.S.
• Keeping it clean and safe -Phillyburbs.com (October 7, 2007)
  PA hospitals use creative ways to promote hand hygiene.
• Across Pennsylvania, more patient return to hospital Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (October 1, 2007)
  Report says hospital infections cause one-quarter of all readmissions and add hundreds of millions to cost of care.
• Interest keen on infections from surgery Columbia Tribune (September 30, 2007)
  Consumers are pushing for more information on hospital infections
• US Hospitals Report Infections Increasing in Frequency and Cost Science Daily (September 26, 2007)
  A new review of inpatient data from US hospitals shows that the number of infections caused by a common bacterium increased by over 7 percent each year from 1998 to 2003.
• Getting The Bugs Out Washington Post (September 25, 2007)
  VA and MD hospitals vary on applying practices used to prevent surgical infections.
• Reducing hospital-acquired infections is within our reach Telegram, Worchester, MA (September 12,2007)
  Commentary on public infection reporting bills currently before the MA legislature and Department of Public Health proposal to train hospitals and patients, and require public reporting of infection rates.
• Report: 87 Percent of U.S. Hospitals Don’t Take Recommended Steps to Prevent Avoidable Infections Infection Control Today (September 10, 2007)
  Analysis of 1,256 hospitals that participate in the Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety Survey, an annual rating system of a hospital’s quality and safety practices. The full report is to be issued on September 18.
• Editorial: No money for mistakes: Medicare will stop paying for preventable errors The Register-Guard, Eugene, OR (September 4, 2007)
  Doctors and hospitals have powerful incentives to make fewer mistakes, not the least of which is a profound professional desire to help their patients heal as quickly as possible.
• Editorial: Why pay for mistakes?Boston Globe (August 23, 2007)
  By Dr. Lucian Leape
• Hospital infections blamed in thousands of deathsLawrence Journal, Lawrence, KS (August 26, 2007)
  Consumer group working to make data available to public.
• Editorial: Medicare against mistakesBoston Herald(August 22, 2007)
  Medicare will no longer pay extra for hospital care needed to remedy a mistake in eight specific areas. The hospital is prohibited from billing the patient for the difference.
• Pitt study calls for changes to national infection control policiesPittsburg Tribune Review (August 22, 2007)
  University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine 20-hospital study showed that monitoring institutional water systems can help predict the risk of hospital-acquired Legionella pneumonia, better known as Legionnaires' disease.
• Hospitals Collaborate To Change Methods To Prevent Infections The New York Sun (August 20, 2007)
  The expansion comes as state health officials have started collecting data on infections from hospitals that it plans to publicize next year for the first time in a report card format.
• Medicare Will Not Pay For Hospital Mistakes And Infections, New RuleMedical News Today (August 20, 2007)
  CMS said that the new rules will not only improve the quality of care for Medicare benificiaries, but will save millions of taxpayer dollars every year.
• Memo to Hospitals: Bad Care Will Cost YouUS News and World Report (August 17, 2007)
  Because of a new rule issued earlier this month by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which reimburses hospitals, this is one gaping loophole that won't stay open too much longer.
• Editorial: Hospital, infect me not Boston Globe (August 12, 2007)
  Patients in hospitals should not end up worse off than when they were admitted because of an infection acquired during treatment.
• Hospital infection may cost $473m annually in MA Boston Globe (August 9, 2007)
  Report by expert panel on hospital-acquired infections recommends public release of data.
• Massachusetts targets killer hospital infections Boston Herald (August 8, 2007)
  State officials have unveiled a plan to require hospitals to make public some rates of infections that patients acquire during treatment.
• Delaware hospital infection data to be made public WBOC-TV (July 12, 2007)
  Hospitals in Delaware can no longer keep certain information about infections secret from the public
• DE Hospital infection data to be made public -Newszap Delaware (July 11, 2007)
  New law HB 47 sponsored by Rep. Hudson, will required hospitals to report their infections to the public.
• Oregon law aims to curb hospital infections Eugene Register Guard (July 7, 2007)
  Oregon is poised to become the latest state to require hospitals to publicly report their infection rates for certain procedures.
• Infection reporting law lacks teeth The Nashua Telgraph (July 8, 2007)
  NH legislators appropriate $1 for hospital infection reporting.
• Hospitals told: Clean up or lose out The Virginian Pilot (July 3, 2007)
  The federal government is pushing a proposal that could be an expensive wake-up call for hospitals that don’t clean up their acts.
• Health bills take aim at hospital infections Scranton Times Tribune (July 4, 2007)
  Reducing the patient infection rate is a key goal of Gov. Ed Rendell’s ambitious health care reform agenda.
• New Medicare rules on payment for hospital infections NH Public Radio (June 28, 2007)
  Consumers Union emphasizes patients should not be billed for the infections targeted by Medicare
• U.S. hospitals rife with superbug bacteria: survey Reuters (June 26, 2007)
  The activist group Consumers Union said hospitals must do more.
• High staph infection rates in hospitals stun public health officials San Francisco Chronicle (June 25, 2007)
  New study reports lethal drug-resistant bacteria widespread
• Drug-resistant Bug Becoming More Common ABC News (June 25, 2007)
  Hospitals See Rise in Drug-Resistant Staph
• A New law puts focus on hospital infections La Crosse Tribune, La Crosse, WI (June 5, 2007)
  MN lawmakers approve law requiring public reporting of hospital infections.
• US soldiers in Iraq fighting drug-resistant bacteria HULIQ.com
  US soldiers in Iraq do not carry the bacteria responsible for difficult-to-treat wound infections found in military hospitals treating soldiers wounded in Iraq, according to an article in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
• Researchers find nurse working conditions linked to increase in hospital infections Columbia University (May 24, 2007)
  Columbia University School of Nursing researchers find nurse working conditions linked to increase in hospital-acquired infections.
  Nurse working conditions linked to increase in patient infections.HULIQ.com.
  
• Officials concerned about rise in c. diff infections Pittsburgh Post Gazette (May 11, 2007)
  Increasing numbers of hospitalizations have been linked to infections from a spore-forming pathogen known as C. diff.
• More patients suffering infections at hospitals KIRO-TV, Seattle (May 10, 2007)
  Federal studies indicate that hospital infections are getting worse, and more deadly.
• States attack hospital infections Heartland Institute (May 2007)
  More states move to require hospital infection reporting.
• Hospital infection rates could go online San Antonio Express News (May 10, 2007)
  Texas is getting close to requiring hospitals to disclose infection rates to the public.
• Hospitals tie CEO bonuses to safety Boston Globe (May 5, 2007)
  Push for a reduction in errors, infections
• Information is the new tool in the fight against hospital infections Dallas Morning News (May 3, 2007)
  Texas lawmakers have passed legislation to make patient infection rates public.
• Hospital infections reporting bill close to becoming law Seattle Times (April 12, 2007)
  Washington Senate passes hospital infection reporting bill unanimously.
• Hospital secrecy to end in Ontario Toronto Star (April 12, 2007)
  For the first time, Ontario hospitals will be required to publicly disclose their patient safety records, including infection rates.
• Editorial: Hospital safety: More sunshine Seattle Post Intelligencer (April 12, 2007)
  Washington legislators are within reach of setting up a farsighted program to encourage control of hospital infections.
• Hospital infection information is scarce Casper Star Tribune (April 10, 2007)
  Hospitals in Wyoming are not required by the state or federal government to make their rates public.
• Infections found in hospitals KVUE-TV (April 5, 2007)
  Texas lawmakers are working to shine the spotlight on hospital infections.
• Texas bill seeks to document hospital infections Austin American Statesman (April 5, 2007)
  The state Senate has passed a bill requiring disclosure of patient infection rates.
• US Hospital Errors Continue to Rise Washington Post (April 2, 2007)
  HealthGrades shows rise in post-operative sepsis
• Hospitals, Heal Thyselves Seattle Times (March 19, 2007)
  "The state Legislature is right to demand hospitals begin reporting their infection rates, an effort intended to spur corrective measures."
• Washington state bill aims to cut hospital infection rates KOMO-TV (March 15, 2007)
  Washington state lawmakers are considering a bill to require all medical care facilities to report their infection rates.
• Bid to cut hospital infections gains traction in legislature Seattle Times (March 4, 2007)
  A bill requiring public reporting of hospital infections is expected to pass the Washington House soon.
• Deadly germs take grim toll in hospitals Fort Worth Star Telegram (March 4, 2007)
  Infections lurking in the nation's hospitals have been a well-kept secret for years because information is not publicly reported. (scroll down for beginning of article)
• Georgia family loses son to hospital-acquired infection Fox Five News, Atlanta, GA (Feb. 20, 2007)
  Victoria and Armando Nahum created the organization SafeCare Campaign.org to help eradicate hosptial-acquried infections.
• Med school studies hospital infections Baltimore Examiner (February 14, 2007)
  The CDC has provided funding for the University of Maryland to study the best way of combating antibiotic- resistant staph infections.
• Making hospitals safer CBS Evening News (February 6, 2007)
  Katie Couric interviews Dr. Donald Berwick about the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s campaign to reduce medical errors, including hospital infections.
• Can Anything Stop the Superbug? The Guardian (January 17, 2007)
  Drug reisistant infections
• Surgical Secrets-Wyoming Tribune-Eagle-(December 25, 2006)
  Wyoming hospital infection rates, nowhere to be found.
• Hospitals’ dirty secret Modern Healthcare (November 27, 2006)
  New reports reveal pattern of deadly and expensive, yet preventable, medical errors.
• Studies: Hospitals could do more to avoid infections Washington Post (November 21, 2006)
  Hospital infections arise mainly from poor hygiene in hospital procedures, not from how sick patients were when they were admitted.
• Hospital infections more likely to lead to deaths PBS News Hour (November 20, 2006)
  A new study reveals the roots of this problem, as well as its economic impact on the health care industry.
• Pennsylvania Releases Hospital-Specific Report on Patient Infections
  On November 14, 2006, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) released a groundbreaking report disclosing the infection rates for each of the state’s 168 hospitals. This first-in-the nation report garnered extensive media coverage in Pennsylvania and across the country.
• Rates of Hospital Infections in North Carolina WCNC-TV (November 13, 2006)
  In this two-part series, WCNC-TV looks at the problem of hospital infections and how consumers are left in the dark about their hospital’s record
• Are you gambling with your health when choosing a hospital? KHOU-TV (November 10, 2006)
  A Texas advisory committee is urging the state to require hospitals to report data on patient infections to the public.
• Rating hospital heart care Gannett News Special Report (October 2006)
  When it comes to treatment of heart attack or failure, your hospital choice makes a difference.
• Squash the bug Slate (October 24, 2006)
  Europe is killing off hospital infections. Why isn’t the U.S. following suit?
• CDC issues new guidelines on hospital infections WebMD (October 19, 2006)
  New guidelines for U.S. health care facilities to control drug-resistant infections are strictly voluntary.
• New threat from an old bug CBS News (October 12, 2006)
  The ongoing epidemic of severe C. diff diarrheal disease — driven by a 20-fold more toxic mutant strain of the bacteria — is fast getting worse.
• Patients can help stop hospital acquired infections WNBC-TV (September 14, 2006)
  Some steps patients can take to avoid infections in the hospital
• Hospital acquired infections may be preventable WNBC-TV (September 13, 2006)
  A new law in New York will require hospitals to make their infection rates public.
• $21 million grant to fight medical mistakes, hospital infections in South Carolina WLTX-TV (August 15, 2006)
  A $21 million grant coming to South Carolina aims to improve patient care and prevent unnecessary hospital deaths.
• Life, death decisions Rocky Mountain News (August 7, 2006)
  Shopping for the right hospital can make a critical difference in the care you receive, medical experts say.
• Safe Hospitals Pittsburgh Post Gazette (July 25, 2006)
  The Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative has shown that there is an incredibly strong "business case" for improving health care quality.
• A routine epidural turns deadly NBC Dateline (June 4, 2006)
  Julie and Chris LeMoult were excited parents-to-be. Did a hospital infection turn the happiest day of their lives into a nightmare?
• Doctor tells Senate leaders infection controls save lives, money Pittsburgh Post Gazette (June 2, 2006)
  Efforts to prevent hospital-acquired infections at a Pittsburgh hospital have saved both lives and money, a physician told visiting U.S. Senate leaders.
• Sanford signs hospital data bill S.C. Politics Today (May 31, 2006)
  Hospitals and other surgical facilities will be required to collect data on hospital-acquired infections and state regulators will have to make the information public under a bill signed today by Gov. Mark Sanford.
• Infections contracted in hospitals can kill, but Alaskans can't yet see data and compare facilities Anchorage Daily News (May 30, 2006)
  How do you choose a hospital? What if you could call up a Web site and compare one hospital against the others based on how many infections have been acquired there? That's not possible in Alaska. But it could be soon.
• Concern grows over bacterium at hospitals after VA Center outbreak Seattle Times (May 29, 2006)
  A small outbreak of infection at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Seattle may have contributed to the death of one patient and added to the complications of three seriously ill patients in the past several weeks.
• Hospital's Dirty Secrets TBO.com News (May 17, 2006)
  Infection problem in a Florida hospital "higher than expected" on the state infection reporting website.
• Are hospitals more deadly than car wrecks? May 16 - KGO (May 16, 2006)
  It's estimated that 250 people die every day from infections they picked up in the hospital.
• States push to disclose hospital infection rates National Public Radio (March 11, 2006)
  Listen to the NPR Morning Edition story on how an increasing number of states are passing hospital infection report laws and read an interview with Dr. Rick Shannon of the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh about how hospitals can prevent infections.
• South Carolina hospital data bill advances The State (March 10, 2006)
  A House subcommittee has approved a Senate-passed bill requiring hospitals to publicly report data on patient infections
• Alaska moves to study hospital infections Statement by Alaska Senator Gary Stevens (May 3, 2006)
  Alaska lawmakers have established a task force to develop recommendations for hospitals to disclose infection rates.
• Business case for infection prevention investigated Infection Control Today (May 4, 2006)
  Infection control professionals convene summit to look at how preventing infections is good for hospitals’ bottom line.
• Lawmakers take notice of hospital infections KMBC-TV, Kansas City, MO (May 1, 2006)
  Lawmakers are just beginning to take a hard look at the number of people who are getting infections in hospitals and other health-care centers.
• WHO-TV Investigation: Hospital Infections Des Moines, IA (April 2006)
  WHO-TV’s investigative report on hospital infections in response to emails and calls from viewers who have suffered from them.
• Sad tales attest to infection woes Rocky Mountain News (April 21, 2006)
  A proposed bill in Colorado would require 200 hospitals in the state to report and make public the rate of hospital-acquired infections.
• Over 250,000 die from potentially preventable medical errors under Medicare Health Sentinel (April 17, 2006)
  A new report by HealthGrades concludes that as many as 950 preventable deaths occur each day from medical errors and other patient safety incidents, including hospital infections.
• New Hampshire hospitals could see infection reporting requirement New Hampshire Public Radio (April 11, 2006)
  New Hampshire is among two dozen states now considering legislation to require hospital infection reporting.
• Maryland bill calls for hospitals to disclose infections Gaithersburg Business Gazette (April 7, 2006)
  Maryland hospitals must disclose their rate of patient infections under a bill passed unanimously by both the Senate and House.
• Congressional committee holds hearing on hospital infections KaiserNetwork.org (March 30, 2006)
  House Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee looks at state laws that require hospitals to report infection rates. This story includes a link to an ABC Nightline news segment on hospital infections.
• Editorial: Hospital infections – assume the worst Pittsburgh Tribune Review (April 2, 2006)
  Hospitals claim that a new Pennsylvania report overstates the impact of infections. But the report’s estimates are probably too low instead of too high.
• Are hospitals hazardous to your health? In These Times (March 16, 2006)
  Numerous states are introducing legislation requiring hospitals to track and report infection rates.
• Hospitals fight fessin' up New Haven Independent (March 8, 2006)
  As many as three people die each day in Connecticut from infections they got in the hospital, according to one estimate.
• New Hampshire hospitals may post infection rates Concorde Monitor (March 8, 2006)
  The New Hampshire House passed a bill that would make hospitals report statistics about infections that patients contract while being treated.
• Enter at your own risk New York Sun (Feb. 9, 2006)
  Hospital infection kills as many Americans annually as AIDS, breast cancer, and auto accidents combined.
• House panel passes health infection bill in Colorado (Jan. 23, 2006)
  The Colorado House Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on January 23 which included testimony on HB 1045, the hospital infection reporting bill. The Committee voted 12-1 to move the bill to the Appropriations Committee. The story was covered by the Denver Business Journal.
• Stomach Bug Mutates Into Medical Mystery Washington Post
  (Dec. 30, 2005)
  Bacterial infection (Clostridium difficile) striking young, otherwise healthy Americans, appears to be spreading rapidly around the country and causing unusually severe, sometimes fatal illness
• Ohio Health Committee Approves Hospital Infection Reporting Bill
  The Ohio House health Committee has approved legislation by Representative Jim Raussen that requires hospitals to report data on a whole range of health care quality measures, including hospital-acquired infections.
• Deadly Hospital Germ Is Spreading in U.S. Washington Post (Dec. 2, 2005)
  A new, more dangerous strain of a germ that has long caused diarrhea in hospital patients is now widespread in the United States, causing severe, sometimes deadly outbreaks around the country, researchers reported yesterday.
• 21 PA hospitals' infection reporting lax Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  (Dec. 2, 2005)
  Pennsylvania has identified 21 hospitals in the state that appear to be under-reporting hospital-acquired infections, but the public is not informed which ones.
• Hospital Acquired Infections KABC-TV, Los Angeles (Nov. 29, 2005)
  One in 20 people who enter the hospital will end up with infections they didn't have when they were admitted. Hospitals won't volunteer their infection rates, but they are facing increasing pressure to do so.
• The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council
  has released another report based on 2004 data collected under that state’s law requiring hospitals to report hospital-acquired infections. An astounding 76% of the infections were paid for by Medicare and Medicaid. Also, the report reminds us that the uninsured carry the heaviest financial burden, since they are unable to negotiate discounted prices with their hospitals, as do Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance plans. The story was covered by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
• Florida quality report (November 9, 2005)
  Florida quality report includes first hospital-specific information about infections.
• Hospital Infections Tampa Tribune (Nov. 8, 2005)
  Tampa WFLA-TV provides an extensive report on the new Florida Hospital Care Compare site that includes infection ratings for every hospital in the state.
• CU discusses public reporting of hospital-acquired infections with 20/20 ABC 20/20 (Oct. 14, 2005)
  Millions of patients contract an infectious disease while they are being treated in a hospital, but most hospitals do not release detailed data on the problem.
• Coverage of hospital-acquired infections CNBC “On the Money” (Oct. 13, 2005)
  The segment includes an interview with Lisa McGiffert, Consumers Union, and Mark Volavka, the director of the Pennsylvania agency that released the first report on hospital-acquired infections.
• Pittsburg paper calls on state agency to release more information on hospital-acquired infections. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Sept. 26, 2005)
  How many more patients must die before Pennsylvania hospitals come clean about their infection rates?
• New Antibiotics in clinical trials show promise of success against Superbugs ScientificAmerican.com (Aug. 30, 2005)
  The misuse and overuse of antibiotics has led to the rise of so-called superbugs--bacteria that have developed a resistance to widely used antibiotics and pose a threat to public health.
• Chronic Condition: The waste in Medicare spending Washington Post (July 2005)
  In this three-part series, the Washington Post takes a look at how bad practices net hospitals more Medicare money, how the agency that accredits hospital overlooks problems, and how private Quality Improvement Organizations working for the Medicare agency operate in secret and have a cozy relationship with doctors and health care facilities.
• Editorial: Watch their hands USA Today (July 21, 2005)
  Hospital infections aren't new. Yet proven methods that could cut the number of deaths in half aren't followed. Collecting that infection rate data is a good step to pressure hospitals to improve.
• Newspapers editorialize on the high cost of hospital infections
  Following the release of a Pennsylvania report on hospital infections, newspapers across the state editorialized on this serious patient safety problem. Read the editorials in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
• Data show scourge of hospital infections Washington Post (July 13, 2005)
  Nearly 12,000 Pennsylvanians contracted hospital infections in 2004, costing an additional $2 billion in care and resulting in 1,500 deaths, according to a state report.
• 11,600 patients got infections in Pennsylvania hospitals USA Today (Jul 13, 2005)
  Pennsylvania became the first state to issue a report detailing the toll hospital infections take in both lives and dollars.
• MRSA checks before patients go in Guardian (June 12, 2005)
  Some leading hospitals in the UK are screening patients for MRSA before they are admitted in an effort to minimize infection risks.
• Prevention of surgical site infections needs improvement Women & Infants' (June 2005)
  Despite knowing for years that giving antibiotics prior to surgery reduces the risk of infection, this proven patient safety practice is followed only about half the time.
• Coming Clean The Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (Jun 6, 2005)
  Infections that have been nearly eradicated in some other countries are raging through hospitals here in the United States. The major reason? Poor hygiene. In fact, hygiene is so inadequate in most American hospitals that one out of every 20 patients contracts an infection during a hospital stay.
• Medical errors still claiming many lives USA Today (May 18, 2005)
  A new article in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that little progress has been made in the past five years to reduce deaths caused by medical errors in U.S. hospitals.
• Health council to prod straggling hospitals on infection data Pittsburg Live (May 6, 2005)
  The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) will issue a statewide aggregate hospital-acquired infection report based on the first year of data collected from state hospitals. This is the first hospital-acquired infection report ever based on a mandatory reporting law. Also, since data received from most of the hospitals was inadequate, PHC4 will notify hospitals that they must do a better job or face random audits to ensure accuracy of reports.
• Vermont lawmakers consider tracking infections Montpelier Times Argus (May 5, 2005)
  A group of Vermont residents who have suffered from hospital infections told their stories at a recent hearing on legislation that would require public disclosure of infection rates.
• Hospitals try to ward off nasty MRSA bacteria Pittsburgh Post Gazette (April 27, 2005)
  Hospitals in western Pennsylvania are adopting a set of special procedures aimed at protecting patients from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a difficult to treat and sometimes fatal infection.
• Deadly Hospital Infections CBS Early Show (March 14, 2005)
  Lisa McGiffert of Consumers Union and Dr. Don Nielsen of the American Hospital Association discussion on publishing hospital infection rates.
• Maryland May Track Infections Contracted in Hospitals Washington Post (February 23, 2005)
  Lawmakers in Maryland are considering legislation to require hospitals to disclose their infection rates.
• Pulling the covers off hospital infection rates St. Petersburg, FL Times (February 21, 2005)
  Patient advocates ask why it's taking so long to reveal the data, as required by Florida law.
• Report finds 80 pct of US doctors witness mistakes Silence Kills (January 26, 2005)
  Report finds that most nurses and doctors witness medical errors, but few speak up when they see them. Requires a short registration.
• Simple Intervention Nearly Eliminates Catheter-related Bloodstream Infections Science Daily (Dec. 9, 2004)
  As many as 28,000 patients die each year in the U.S. because of catheter-related bloodstream infections, but doctors and nurses who implement simple and inexpensive interventions can cut the number of deaths to nearly zero, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers.
• One doctor's long trail of dangerous mistakes LA Times (December 7, 2004)
  This five-part series details the devastating consequences that occur when public accountability at a local Los Angeles hospital breaks down. (Free site registration required to read other parts of series.)
• Reducing hospital-acquired infections News 8 Austin (September 25, 2004)
  Each year, more than 2 million people will develop a hospital-acquired infection. About 100,000 of them will die from one.
• Time to clean up hospital infections San Francisco Chronicle (September 14, 2004)
  Legislation that California lawmakers have sent to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for his approval is aimed at making hospital-acquired infections far less likely.
• Focus on hospital-acquired infections bill on CA governor's desk - San Francisco Chronicle (9/11/04)
  Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, wants to give consumers more information about hospital-acquired infection rates and try to prevent the upward of 9,000 deaths a year attributed to these types of infections in California.
• Why do so many still die needlessly in hospitals? - USA Today (August 5, 2004)
  When a report came out last week from a private group claiming that nearly 200,000 hospital patients die each year from preventable medical errors, it promptly sparked a fierce controversy.
• Voluntary efforts won't work - USA Today (August 5, 2004)
  The usually quarrelsome U.S. Senate recently approved medical-error legislation by a unanimous voice vote -- reason enough for citizen suspicion. When no special interest wants to fight something, it's usually the public interest that's losing out.
• Information key to tackling superbugs BBC News (Jul. 13, 2004)
  Hospitals in England are finding that the key to curbing antibiotic-resistant infections is collecting detailed data about which wards infections are common in and which particular patients are most affected.
• Editorial: A father's fight - St. Louis Business Journal (May 28, 2004)
  Because of a father's incredible love and determination to see some good follow his son's hospital nightmare, Missouri will gain what is considered "the most significant piece of consumer protection" adopted by the Legislature in recent memory.
• Missouri could become one of 3 states to make reports available to consumers - St. Louis Business Journal, May 28, 2004
  Raymond Wagner Jr., an executive with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, draws on his son's personal experience to help Missouri legislators pass a bill requiring the reporting of hospital-acquired infection rates to the public. The bill is awaiting Gov. Bob Holden's signature. (CU's Lisa McGiffert quoted.)
• Tampa TV station reports on secrecy clouding hospital infections
  Tampa's WFLA-TV reports on the secrecy behind infection rates in Florida hospitals. The three-part series was shot last October, but is particularly relevant now that the Florida Legislature has approved a bill requiring disclosure of infection rates in a more understandable form. Click here to see the reports.
• National TV series on hospital acquired infections
  Ivanhoe Broadcast News, a national TV syndicator of health related news, has an excellent 3-part series on hospital infections. The series is being broadcast in approximately 100 stations throughout the month of May 2004. Part 3 of the series, “The Right to Know,” includes an interview with Earl Lui of Consumers Union. Click here to get the text of the entire series.
• Super-Resistant Superbugs - 60 Minutes (May 2, 2004)
  Antibiotics have been so overused that a new breed of “superbugs” is now resistant to almost all antibiotics. One of these is MRSA, a staph bacteria, that triggers infections so severe that they can turn deadly in days. It is also a prevalent hospital-acquired infection. 60 Minutes reports.
• Compromise approved on reporting infections - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (March 5, 2004)
  Board members for the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council unanimously approve a compromise that should allow for the collection of at least some data this year on infections acquired in hospitals.
• Hospitals try to slow progress of infections report card plan - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Feb. 9, 2004)
  The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council has until Feb. 18 to respond to protests by an influential hospital group that is trying to slow down the implementation of a statewide report card on hospital-acquired infections.
• Can we stomach the truth? - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Nov. 11, 2003)
  Pennsylvanians know more about the infection rate of a Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant in Beaver County than they do about the infection rates of their hospitals. Ay caramba!