Despite all the criticisms we hear, America, and Connecticut in particular has an excellent healthcare system. We turn away no one, and no one waits in line for months for treatment as they do in foreign nations.  And while no one ever looks forward to being hospitalized, we Connecticut residents can take great comfort from the knowledge that, should the need ever come about, we have many excellent hospitals to choose from.

But, as Governor M. Jodi Rell noted when signing our newly adopted Act Concerning Hospital Acquired Infections, people who must be hospitalized want to get better, not get a new illness. As a member of the legislature’s Public Health Committee which initiated this new legislation, it is my hope that this new law will have the effect of improving public health.

The new law, which takes effect immediately, calls for creating an 11-member “Committee on Healthcare Associated Infections” charged with developing, operating, and monitoring a mandatory reporting system for healthcare associated infections. Under the law,  a “healthcare associated infection” is any localized or systemic condition resulting from an adverse reaction to the presence of an infectious agent, or its toxin, that occurs in a patient in a healthcare setting, that was not found present or incubating at the time of admission.

By April 1st, 2007, this committee  - comprised of the public health commissioner, or his designee; two representatives of the Connecticut Hospital Association; two representing health care consumers; two who are either hospital-based infectious disease specialists or epidemiologists with demonstrated knowledge and competence in infectious disease issues; one representative of the Connecticut State Medical Society; one representative of a labor organization representing hospital-based nurses, and two public members -  must make its recommendations to the state Department of Health.

By October 1, 2007, the state Department of Public Heath must, within available appropriations, create a mandatory reporting system for healthcare associated infections and standardized data reporting measures.  The DPH must report to the legislature’s Public Health Committee on the plan for implementing the mandatory reporting system and its status.  By October 1, 2008 – and then each year thereafter –  the State Health Department must report to the Public Health Committee regarding information collected through the mandatory reporting system. This report must be posted on the state Public Health Department’s website and be available to the public.

Governor Rell noted that infections contracted in hospitals are the fourth largest killer in the United States, causing as many deaths as AIDS, breast cancer and automobile accidents combined.  She stated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that annual healthcare-associated infections number over 2 million, resulting in approximately 90,000 deaths and $4.5 billion in excess healthcare costs.  Our new law will work with our hospitals to reduce the tragedy of hospital-acquired infections. 

I am proud to remain your Senator until my term ends in January and my office will remain open to assist you.  As always, I am interested in your thoughts and concerns.  I can be reached at the Capitol at 1-800-842-1421 or you can send me an e-mail at Catherine.Cook@cga.ct.gov.  I look forward to hearing from you.