Other Foundation Projects
Key Facts
California Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention Initiative (CHAIPI)
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that this year one of every 20 patients will contract a healthcare-associated infection (HAI). HAIs contribute to more deaths each year than AIDS, Alzheimer's, auto accidents or diabetes, and are the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The costs in human suffering and healthcare dollars are enormous:
- 1.7 million reported HAI cases annually across the nation
- 99,000 of annual cases resulting in death
- $20 billion in additional treatment costs resulting from HAIs
Seeing an opportunity to make significant improvements, in 2005, the Foundation provided $1 million in grants to support an innovative pilot project which would use new technology to identify and dramatically reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Working with nine hospitals, the Foundation launched the California Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention Initiative (CHAIPI) and saw promising outcomes from the 18-month pilot. Encouraged by the results, in 2008 the Foundation committed an additional $4 million to expand the program to 51 hospitals across the state.
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California Technology Assessment Forum (CTAF)
The rapid growth of new medical technologies represents the single most important change regarding how health care is delivered in the United States. These technologies and their widespread application have a significant effect on the health status of patients and consumers.
Blue Shield of California Foundation spearheads CTAF, a forum that was created with a mission to identify medical technologies that improve health. The CTAF vision is a culture of patient care in which the use of medical technologies is based on scientific evidence.
CTAF serves as:
- A community forum dedicated to objectivity and transparency regarding medical technologies
- An opportunity for dialog and decisions regarding the safety and effectiveness of new and emerging technologies
- A response to the Institute of Medicine's reports regarding patient safety and quality
Visit the CTAF Web site for information on past technology assessments and upcoming meetings.
Convening on Health Care Reform and the Media
On November 17, 2008, the Foundation funded the day-long meeting, "Engaging Californians in Health Care Reform: The Role of Media and New Media Innovations." The event, convened by the California Media Collaborative, brought together representatives from diverse constituencies to examine the intersection of media coverage and healthcare reform, and to discuss the impact that new media platforms such as blogs, social networks, and news Web Sites, have had on the conversation. Participants in the round-table discussion included leading journalists from major newspapers and radio outlets, bloggers, academics, healthcare providers, non-profit leaders, foundation representatives, and others.
More information can be found in the report, Engaging Californians in Health Care Reform: Perspectives on Media Coverage of the Health Care Reform Debate in California and Beyond.
