After extensive lobbying by members of the healthcare division of AFT Connecticut and state federation staff, the Connecticut Legislature on May 3 passed a bill requiring public disclosure of hospital-acquired infections.

The legislation now heads to the desk of Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R), who is expected to sign the measure.

S.B. 160 passed the state House unanimously on the final day of the legislative session. The bill had previously passed the state Senate unanimously on April 26.

The cost of these medical complications, in both dollars and lives, is mounting. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 90,000 Americans die from hospital-acquired infections every year—more than from auto accidents and homicides combined. Another 1.9 million non-deadly infections occur each year, for a total yearly cost of $5.9 billion.

The state attorney general estimates that three people die each day in Connecticut due to hospital-acquired infections, while another 66 individuals acquire a non-fatal infection.

"This issue is about patient safety and a patient's right to know," said Sharon Palmer, president of AFT Connecticut.

Knowing which hospitals have hospital-acquired infection rates can help consumers, employers and insurers make better choices about the quality of care they are receiving for their healthcare dollar.

Several studies have also found that lower nurse-to-patient ratios are strongly correlated with a decreased likelihood of hospital-acquired infection.

AFT Connecticut backed the bill in coalition with a number of consumer and healthcare quality groups, including Citizens for Economic Opportunity, Connecticare, the Connecticut Center for Patient Safety, the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, ConnPIRG and Healthcare for All.

Connecticut becomes the ninth state to require hospitals to track the number of patients who acquire infections while hospitalized and joins six others in requiring hospitals to publicly release these numbers.

The Connecticut bill sets up an 11-member committee to develop, operate and monitor a mandatory reporting system for healthcare-associated infections. One representative on the committee must come from a labor organization representing hospital-based nurses.

(posted 05/08/06)