Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown today kicked off the Maryland Hospital Hand Hygiene Collaborative campaign to enhance the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Maryland hospitals.
HAIs are the most common adverse event encountered by hospitalized patients and cost the nation an estimated $30 billion in added healthcare costs. This initiative is a recommendation of the Maryland Health Quality and Cost Council (MHQCC) and is being implemented by the Maryland Patient Safety Center.
“This hand hygiene collaborative will protect staff and patients from infection in the healthcare setting,” said Brown, chairman of the MHQCC. “We know that no other single behavior or activity can save lives and prevent healthcare-associated infections better than comprehensive handwashing by care providers. This initiative makes good public health sense and will save healthcare dollars at the same time.”
Support for the Collaborative is provided, in part, through a cooperative funding agreement to support surveillance and prevention of healthcare-associated infections that was received by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
“When community hospitals and public agencies work collaboratively, great things can happen,” said Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) secretary John M. Colmers and vice chairman of the MHQCC. “Hand hygiene is a critical factor in preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria that can cause potentially devastating infections. Maryland’s well-established track record of fighting healthcare-associated infections and our commitment to prevention has been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with this award.”
According to Chesley Richards, MD, MPH, deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Provention’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, “By funding critical state-based prevention efforts, we are making a significant investment toward progress on the national prevention targets that are outlined in the HHS action plan, and, ultimately, the elimination of HAIs.”
This cooperative funding agreement enables the state and hospitals to move quickly to further the goal of reducing HAIs in Maryland. Substantial progress in data collection – and resulting improvement in patient care – is well underway with the work of the Maryland Health Care Commission’s (MHCC) HAI Advisory Committee.