CDC and HRET Join Forces to Protect Patients

Three-year initiative aims to reduce infections in hospitals

For more information contact: Jennifer Schleman AHA 202-638-5491 jschleman@aha.org	Matt Fenwick HRET 312-422-2820 mfenwick@aha.org

CHICAGO – November 10, 2015 –The Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are launching a three-year initiative to improve the implementation of infection prevention and control efforts in U.S. hospitals. The goal is to strengthen infection control practices in targeted acute care hospitals and to specifically reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with CDC on the important issue of infection prevention,” said Maulik Joshi, president of HRET and associate executive vice president of AHA. “This project will build on our national work that has successfully reduced CAUTI and CLABSI rates and improved patient care.”

The project will be completed in close partnership with state hospital associations, state health departments and the CMS Quality Improvement Networks – Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN –QIO) that will facilitate and provide technical assistance to at least 300 targeted hospitals.

"Combining the expertise of CDC and HRET, we can better coordinate and align healthcare-associated infection prevention efforts at both a national and local level, accelerating prevention and improving sustainability,” said Dr. Carolyn Gould, CDC Team Lead for Hospital Infection Prevention. “This is a unique opportunity to make a difference in preventing infections and improving patient safety across the nation.”

In addition, HRET will work closely with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), a personal membership group of the AHA, to develop resources to help design and redesign hospitals in ways that reduce infection risks to patients and staff. Other project partners include the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Michigan Health & Hospital Association Keystone Center, Health Insight QIN and Society of Hospital Medicine.

“The health care environment plays a central role in infection control,” said Dale Woodin, senior executive director of ASHE. “Providing guidance on existing and new health care construction will benefit all health care facilities and will improve care for patients.”

HRET will offer technical assistance to hospitals, in part, by developing concise reports that provide guidance on health care facility design and layout for improving infection control. HRET will accelerate current strategies for achieving reductions in infections among all groups by building on the tools and resources of the project partners, CDC, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, combining the shared goals of improved patient safety.

For more information, visit www.hret.org.

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Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET)
Founded in 1944, the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) is the not-for-profit research and education affiliate of the American Hospital Association (AHA). HRET’s mission is to transform health care through research and education. It focuses on identifying and exploring key issues affecting the health care delivery system. HRET’s applied research focuses on improving quality, eliminating disparities, improving care coordination, improving leadership and governance, conducting data analysis and supporting the spread of improvement. Through AHA’s Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence (HPOE) strategy, HRET has helped hospital leaders to accelerate performance improvement by disseminating best practices, producing actionable reports and toolkits, conducting leadership development programs and implementing national improvement projects. For more information, visit www.hret.org.

American Society for Healthcare Egineering (ASHE)
The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association for professionals dedicated to optimizing the health care physical environment, including health care facility managers, engineers, architects, designers, constructors, infection control specialists, and others. More than 11,000 members count on ASHE as a key source of professional development, industry information, and advocacy, including representation on key issues that affect their work in the physical health care environment. For more information about ASHE, contact 312-422-3800 or visit For more information about ASHE, contact 312-422-3800 or visit ashe.org.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, stem from human error or deliberate attack, CDC is committed to responding to America’s most pressing health challenges.