Making Sure Hospitals Heal — Not Harm: The California Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention Initiative

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.