Support nosocomial infection reporting legislation

The CDC estimates that one of every six patients admitted to American hospitals contracts a nosocomial (hospital acquired) infection and 90,000 die each year from such infections. Furthermore, there is a high degree of variation in the infection rates among hospitals, depending largely on the diligence of efforts to contain them.

The public would clearly benefit from being able to compare these rates when choosing a hospital.

Delegate Bob Purkey has introduced nosocomial infection reporting legislation in 4 of the 5 last sessions of the Virginia General Assembly. Every one of those bills has been tabled by unanimous votes in the House HWI Committee. Yet, he's giving it another try in 2005:

HB 1570 Nosocomial infections; procedures for hospitals to release information.
Patron: Harry R. Purkey

Summary as introduced:
Information on nosocomial infections. Requires the Board of Health to develop a procedure whereby aggregate information on each hospital's incidence of nosocomial infections, without patient identifiers, may be released to the public, upon request; filed in the hospital's licensure records within the Department of Health; and transmitted to the Division of Consumer Counsel and the Administrator of Consumer Affairs for use in determining any necessary actions to protect the interests of Virginia's consumers. Nosocomial infections are acquired in a hospital or other health care setting. The Board of Health is required to promulgate emergency regulations to implement this provision.

Full text:
12/09/04 House: Prefiled & ordered printed; offered 01/12/05 051262472

Status:
12/09/04 House: Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions

Virginians should support this legislation by contacting their legislators directly or by calling the Constituent Viewpoint line at (800) 889-0229 (outside Richmond) or 698-1990 (Richmond area) after the session convenes on January 12, 2005.