What are health care facility acquired infections (HAIs) and how does Prescription for Pennsylvania address them?
Health care facility acquired infections, also known as hospital acquired infections or HAIs, are diseases or infections that a person receives while in a health care facility that they did not have before they were admitted and that usually have no relation to why they were initially admitted. These infections not only endanger peoples lives, they also drive up the cost of our health care system. The charges for the average hospital stay in 2006 totaled about $35,000 while the average charges for a patient with an HAI were around $150,000. However, most of these infections are avoidable with proper hygienic and sanitary conditions; the cost of the gowns, masks, and disinfectant necessary to prevent most infections is between $50 and $150. Infection control models adopted in other countries and in select facilities in the United States, such as a number of VA health centers in Pennsylvania, have shown that these types of infections can be virtually eliminated by implementing a set of b
