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.¹  Reducing preventable HAIs is a priority for the Department of Health and under state law, New Jersey hospitals are required to submit data on healthcare-associated infections to the Department. The Department is required to review and analyze the data, and report the results in New Jersey's annual Hospital Performance Report.²

Final Assessment

Three of the six Healthcare-Associated Infections targets were achieved by 2020. 

• Targets were achieved for:
  • Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)
  • Colon surgical site infections
  • Abdominal hysterectomy surgical site infections 
• Targets were not achieved for:
  • Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)
  • Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgical site infections
  • Knee arthroplasty surgical site infections

For more information, please refer to these resources:

• NJDOH Healthy Care Quality Assessment 
• CDC National Healthcare Safety Network
• Healthy People 2020

References:

1. Healthcare-Associated Infections. Health Care Quality Assessment, NJDOH. 2/4/21.
2. Report Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). Health Care Quality Assessment, NJDOH. 12/13/16.