Salem, OR – Governor Ted Kulongoski today signed a bill to provide
consumers with critical information regarding infection rates at
hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Oregon. House Bill 2524,
sponsored by Rep. Mitch Greenlick, Rep. Carolyn Tomei and others.
“This
gives consumers information they need when deciding what healthcare
facility to choose,” said Laura Etherton, OSPIRG consumer advocate,
“What’s more, this public reporting should spur improvements in
reducing, and ultimately eliminating, these preventable infections.”
Healthcare
acquired infections have been a rising concern among health and
consumer protection organizations. According to the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare acquired infections account
for 90,000 deaths across the country each year.
Here in Oregon, the Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research found in their 2006 report Infections Due to Medical Care in Oregon Hospitals, 2003-2005,
that healthcare acquired infections cause worse clinical outcomes and
higher rates of mortality. The Office for Oregon Health Policy and
Research report also estimated these infections drove up costs by at
least $15 million in 2005.
“Reducing
these infections will not only improve the quality of healthcare, it
will reduce costs,” said Etherton, “That’s good for consumers, and this
bill helps us get there.”
