When someone develops an infection at a hospital or other patient care facility that they did not have prior to treatment, this is referred to as a healthcare-associated (sometimes hospital-acquired) infection (HAI).
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a global crisis affecting both patients and healthcare workers.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at any point in time, 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from infections acquired in hospitals.
A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report published in March-April 2007 estimated the number of U.S. deaths from healthcare asociated infections in 2002 at 98,987.
The risk of acquiring healthcare-associated infections in developing countries is 2-20 times higher than in developed countries.
Afflicting thousands of patients every year, HAI often leads to lengthening hospitalization, increasing the likelihood of readmission, and adding sizably to the cost of care per patient.
Financially, HAIs represent an estimated annual impact of $6.7 billion to healthcare facilities, but the human cost is even higher.
Until recently, a lack of HAI reporting requirements for healthcare facilities has contributed to less-than-optimal emphasis being placed on eliminating the sources of healthcare associated infections. However, growing public anxiety regarding the issue and resulting legislation on state and local levels demanding accountability is serving to accelerate initiatives to combat HAIs.
To learn more about the impact of healthcare-associated infections for both medical professionals and patients, please visit www.haiwatch.com.
About Not on My Watch Prevention Campaign
To protect patients by reducing the risk of HAI, healthcare professionals must continually update their knowledge of infection management.
As part of an ongoing commitment to quality care and infection prevention, nationwide doctors and hospitals are partnering with Kimberly-Clark to deliver continuing education programs on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention to staff and management. As simple as education sounds, busy doctors and nurses on the front lines of delivering care can find it difficult to find the time to take advantage of scheduled programs within their hospitals.
The HAI Education Program is part of a national infection awareness campaign for healthcare professionals called “Not on My Watch” and will provide the facility with a toolkit that contains informational flyers, patient safety tips and posters.
The “Not on My Watch” campaign provides accredited continuing education (CE) programs based on best practices and guidelines as well as research available on reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infections.
For details about the “Not On My Watch” campaign, and the HAI Education Bus please visit www.HAIwatch.com.
HAI Education Bus
At Kimberly-Clark, it’s our mission to find innovative ways to develop and maintain a variety of accredited education, equipping healthcare providers with critical insights and information on today’s important clinical issues. That’s why we’re proud to introduce the HAI Education Bus, an impressive new one-of-a-kind mobile classroom that brings accredited CE education right to your door.
Look for this tour bus as it makes its way across the country, delivering education about healthcare-associated infections and other critical healthcare issues from the plains of Texas to the California coast to New York City and places in between.
Types of Healthcare-Associated Infections
Ventilator – Associated Pneumonia (VAP)
VAP is the source of the highest morbidity and mortality of all Healthcare Associated Infections.
Surgical Site Infections (SSIs)
Any breach of patient skin can lead to a surgical site infection.
Cross Contamination (Contact Transfer)
Contact transfer (touch contamination) is the number one source of Healthcare Associated Infections.
Read More About Contact Transfer
About HAI Watch
HAI Watch is your resource for collateral and supplies to help keep your organization aware of the importance of healthcare associated infection prevention. The following guidelines on hand hygiene in healthcare settings and other tips are available now, but keep checking back. New HAI awareness tools will be added on an ongoing basis.
About Kimberly-Clark Health Care
At Kimberly-Clark Health Care, we deliver innovative healthcare solutions that you can depend on to meet the demands of your fast-paced world, supported by in-service training, clinical research and accredited education.
Our solutions help you prevent, diagnose, and manage major issues in these clinical areas: Infection Prevention (Protection & Infection Control, Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Surgical Site Infections), Digestive Health and Pain Management.
About Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries.
Every day, 1.3 billion people – nearly a quarter of the world’s population – trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being.
With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company’s 137-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com
Thank You Operation Survivor Bloggers Encore
While I have already thanked all of the wonderful, generous bloggers who have blogged about Operation Survivor since Labor Day, there has been a countinued outpouring of support. As a result, I have added all of the new posts, banners, Twitters in addition to the initial posts — as of 25 November, this is everyone.
I daresay we’ll be get more so there might very well be another thank you email. Again, both Abraham Harrison and Survivor Corps thank you very much for all of your continued generosity and support!