CA hospital project cuts HAI rates

A group of San Francisco-area hospitals have managed to cut their rates of infection for two common hospital-associated conditions substantially over the last year and a half. The group, The Beacon Collaborative, is a voluntary association of 39 hospitals. The hospitals began joint HAI-reduction programs in April 2006 and ran tests at the end of 2007 to determine their progress. According to their analysis, during the 21 month period, 34 of the 39 Beacon hospitals prevented 60 percent of the expected cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia and 66 percent of central line-associated bloodstream infections. The group estimates that the reduction in ventilator-associated pneumonia saved an estimated 194 lives and almost $4 million in unnecessary hospital costs, while the reduction in central line-related infections saved an addition 74 lives and $2.7 million.

To learn more about the effort:
- read this East Bay Business Times item

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