Infection Prevention and Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)

HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS

HAIs are infections that patients get while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions within a healthcare setting. They are among the leading causes of preventable deaths in the U.S. HAIs lead to extended hospital stays, contribute to increased medical costs, and are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Tuolumne County’s HAI program supports hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and other congregate settings with the overall goal of preventing and reducing HAIs and maintaining a high quality of care for Tuolumne County residents and their families.

 Some of the more common healthcare associated infections include:

• Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) 
• Carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB)
• Bloodstream infections (BSIs)
• Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)
• Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
• Surgical site infections (SSIs)
• Clostridium difficile infections (CDI)
• Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)
• Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE)
   

Tuolumne County Public Health Department is actively working to prevent and reduce the number of HAIs and improve patient safety in the following ways:

• Provide consultative infection prevention assessments to hospitals, long-term care facilities, and skilled nursing facilities.
• Advise and support healthcare facilities and local health jurisdictions during HAI investigations.
• Support the management and mitigation of local outbreaks and unusual infections
• Promote stewardship of antibiotic use in all healthcare settings.
• Collaborate with regional partners on infection prevention.
• Partner with the CA Dept of Health, APIC and the public to inform, improve and advance the sciences of infection control, healthcare epidemiology, and patient safety