Healthcare-Associated Infections: A Preventable Epidemic

The Committee held a hearing titled, “Healthcare-Associated Infections: A Preventable Epidemic” at 11:00 a.m., on Wednesday, April 16, 2008, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building. A preliminary transcript of this hearing is now available.

The hearing examined the problem of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and whether the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is showing adequate leadership to combat this public health threat.

The following witnesses are testified:

• Don Wright, MD, MPH, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Cynthia Bascetta, Director for Health Care Issues, Government Accountability Office
• Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, Medical Director, Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care and Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine
• John Labriola, Senior Vice President and Hospital Director, William Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak
• Leah Binder, Chief Executive Officer, The Leapfrog Group
• Edward Lawton, a survivor of hospital-acquired infections
• Betsy McCaughey, PhD, Founder and Chairman, the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths