Making Sure Hospitals Heal — Not Harm: The California Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention Initiative
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Every year in the United States, nearly one in 20 patients acquires an infection during their hospital stay. Of the 1.7 million people who suffer from hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) annually, 99,000 die, making it a leading cause of death in America. This issue brief provides a look at the national scope of the problem and profiles a new initiative in California that has already produced savings in both lives and dollars.