AHA, CDC project to help hospitals implement infection prevention measures

The AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust affiliate and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today announced a three-year initiative to improve the implementation of infection prevention and control efforts in U.S. hospitals. The project will work with state hospital associations, state health departments, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Quality Improvement Networks, AHA’s American Society for Healthcare Engineering affiliate and other partners to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, Clostridium difficile infections and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in targeted acute care hospitals. “We welcome the opportunity to work with CDC on the important issue of infection prevention,” said Maulik Joshi, president of HRET and associate executive vice president of AHA. “This project will build on our national work that has successfully reduced CAUTI and CLABSI rates and improved patient care.”