October 2011

• New York decreased statewide surgical site infections [PDF-6MB] by 15% between 2007 and 2010.
• Several states, including Tennessee and California, require healthcare facilities to report data to the National Healthcare Safety Network to address the issue of central line-associated bloodstream infections.
• To prevent emerging infections from taking hold in their hospitals, Wisconsin healthcare facilities now report CRE, a drug-resistant infection.

• The monthly rate of pre-39 week deliveries without appropriate medical indication decreased from 25% to less than 5% in Ohio hospitals participating in the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative intervention program.
• Elective deliveries before 39 weeks decreased by 44% in North Carolina hospitals that were part of the 39 Weeks Collaborative.
• As of October 1, Texas Medicaid is denying claims for any induction or cesarean delivery before 39 weeks if not medically necessary and properly documented.

* New ASTHO president Dr. David Lakey's challenge is focused on reducing infant mortality.

• Approximately 60 lives were saved in one year when Georgia combined sobriety checkpoints with publicized enforcemenT programs.
• Connecticut's high-visibility sobriety checkpoint campaign saved the lives of nearly 30 men ages 21-34 in a year and a half.
• An ignition interlock law and increased interlock use in New Mexico were associated with a 30% reduction in impaired driving crashes and offender re-arrests.

• 96% of foodborne outbreaks reported by public health agencies in the Foodborne Outbreak Online Database (FOOD) occurred at the county level (2004–2008).
• Colorado investigators rapidly identified cantaloupes as the cause of a recent outbreak of Listeria infections – the first listeriosis outbreak associated with melons.
• Local, state, and federal investigators used PulseNet data to link a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections this past summer to ground turkey.