The Department of Health and Human Services plans to make $50 million in grants funded by the American Recovery Act available for states to help fight iatrogenic infections (also known as healthcare-associated infections or HAIs). HHS plans to make $40 million available through competitive grants to eligible states to create or expand state-based prevention and surveillance efforts, and strengthen the public health workforce trained to prevent HAIs. HHS is also allocating $10 million in grants to states to improve the process and increase the frequency of inspections for ambulatory surgical centers.

Today’s 2008 National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports show why we can’t wait to enact comprehensive health reform. The status quo is unsustainable and we cannot allow millions of Americans to continue to go without the care they need and deserve.

The reports found:

-- 40 % of recommended care is not received by patients.

-- Only 40% of diabetic patients received three recommended diabetic preventive exams in the past year, and this rate has not improved over time.

-- Only half of obese adults and children are given advice to exercise more and eat a healthy diet.

-- Seven out of ten adults with mood, anxiety, or impulse disorders received inadequate treatment or no treatment at all.

-- Disparities in health care persist. Minority patients receive disproportionately poor care compared to Caucasian patients. At least 60 percent of quality measures have not improved for minorities compared to Caucasians in the past six years.

-- One in seven hospitalized Medicare patients experience one or more adverse event.

-- Patient safety measures have worsened by nearly 1% each year for the past 6 years.

-- Central line associated blood stream infections strike hundreds of thousands of patients each year.

Healthcare-associated infections can make illnesses worse, further debilitate patients who are already struggling and sometimes lead to death. Through the funding provided by the Recovery Act, we can help prevent these infections and improve the quality of care for all patients.

Patients expect to get better in a healthcare facility, not worse. The Recovery Act money will help protect patient safety, but we need hospitals to do more. Today, I’m challenging hospitals to take basic steps to fight infections that are weakening our health care system and threatening patient safety.

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