Healthcare-Associated infections (HAIs) are among the top causes of unnecessary illnesses and deaths in the United States. HAIs are infections that patients get while staying in a hospital or other healthcare facility – infections that the patients did not have before being admitted. They account for approximately 1.7 million infections and almost 100,000 deaths annually, costing an estimated $28-33 billion each year.
Reducing preventable HAIs is a priority for the Department of Health and for New Jersey hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), which are required to submit their HAI data for public reporting in the Hospital Performance Report. HAI data from ASCs will be publicly reported when its volume becomes high enough to warrant reliable reporting.