
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, which are required to submit their HAI data for public reporting in the Hospital Performance Report.