WASHINGTON –  To reduce healthcare-acquired infections in surgical centers, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has made up to $9 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act available to state survey agencies in 43 states.

HAIs are acquired by patients in a healthcare setting such as a hospital or outpatient clinic. While hand-washing is considered the first and most effective way to avoid them, information technology has also been put to work as a way to control HAIs by monitoring, collecting data, setting benchmarks and sharing information, which leads to establishing best practices.

The ARRA funds will pay for surveying 1,300 ambulatory surgical centers across the nation over the next 12 months. The 1,300 centers, called ASCs, represent one-third of the more than 3,800 non-accredited surgery centers across the country.

State surveyors will use a new survey process developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that includes an infection control tool developed in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Because of the recovery act, millions of patients who go to stand-alone surgical centers will have greater assurance that they won’t come home with a new infection,” Sebelius said.”