Addressing Hospital Acquired Infections in NYS: Improving Patient Safety

Speaker:
Rachel Stricof
Bureau Director
Bureau of Healthcare-Associated Infections
New York State Department of Health

Orginally broadcast on September 16, 2010

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a major public health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were an estimated 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections and 99,000 deaths from those infections in 2002. 1 A recent CDC report estimated the annual medical costs of healthcare-associated infections to U.S. hospitals is between $28 and $45 billion, adjusted to 2007 dollars. 2  Ms. Stricoff will discuss the development of the New York State HAI reporting system, describe HAI rates in NYS in the three years since mandated reporting began and describe activities underway in New York to support hospitals to reduce risk and enhance patient safety. 

Program Objectives
After watching this broadcast participants will be able to:

• Identify critical components of the hospital acquired infection reporting underway in NY hospitals
• Explain trends in hospital acquired infections
• Describe several examples of effective prevention strategies

Continuing Education Credits

School of Public Health, University at Albany is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

It has been assigned Provider Code PA# 157N.

Course code PA# 157N-244; 1.0 contact hour.

School of Public Health, University at Albany is accredited by the MSSNY to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The School designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s).™ Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity is sponsored by the School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for the CHES to receive 1.0 Category 1 CECH in health education.

Continuing education credits are available until September 2013.

The planners and presenters do not have any financial arrangements or affiliations with any commercial entities whose products, research or services may be discussed in this activity.

No commercial funding has been accepted for this activity.