Correction: A Message from the Editor
May 30, 2008
This article is a correction to the Message to the Editor originally published 5/28/08
A Message from the Editor
CDC Partnership with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and Safe Care Campaign
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving treatment for other conditions within a healthcare setting. Examples of HAIs include urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, pneumonia (lung infections), and bloodstream infections. The World Health Organization reports that "at any given time, 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from infections acquired in hospitals." In American hospitals alone, HAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year.
In partnership with APIC and Safe Care Campaign, CDC has developed a new hand hygiene video ("Hand Hygiene Saves Lives") for patients and visitors in hospitals. The video teaches two key points to patients to help prevent infections: the importance of practicing hand hygiene while in the hospital, and that it is appropriate for them to ask or remind their healthcare providers to practice hand hygiene. Modeled after the video that airline passengers are required to view prior to take-off on a flight, this new video is intended to be shown to patients upon admission to the hospital. The goal is that the video will inform patients at the beginning of their hospital stay about what they can do to help prevent infections throughout the duration of their stay.
The scheduled release date for this video is June 15-19, 2008 at the APIC Annual Conference. This video will also be available after the conference for download from the CDC Web site at: www.cdc.gov/handhygiene. This video was made possible by support from the CDC Foundation through a donation from Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
CDC is committed to helping all Americans receive the best and safest care when treated at a hospital or other healthcare facility. To learn more about what CDC is doing to prevent HAIs, visit the CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion Web site. In addition, be sure to stop by the CDC Partners' Web site and see what’s new. As always, feel free to send any feedback, questions or concerns regarding CDC Partnership Matters or the CDC Partners' Web site to CDC Partnerships.
Warm Regards,
Division of Partnerships and Strategic Alliances
CDC Headlines
CDC and Partners: Promoting and Protecting Global Public Health
In an era of increasing globalization, the United States and the world face new challenges and opportunities in public health. CDC works in partnership with other agencies of the US government, public health officials throughout the world, and nongovernmental organizations to protect and promote global public health.
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Women and Diabetes
Among those with diabetes, women represent a significant portion of the diabetes burden. More than 9 million women have diabetes, putting them at risk for complications such as cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney disease, and lower-limb extremity amputations.
>> read the full text
Preventing Construction Falls
CDC/NIOSH is working in partnership with The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR); Hollywood, Health and Society; and the Spanish-language network Telemundo to develop and evaluate a new approach to disseminating workplace safety and health information.
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Events and Seminars
All events and seminars listed are open to CDC's partners. For more information, contact the POC listed. >> read the full text
March 2008
Picturing Health: Norman Rockwell and the Art of Illustration
March 10 – June 4
Hosted by Global Health Odyssey, NCHM, CDC
June 2008
ATSDR Basic Course for Health Assessment and Consultation
June 2 – 6
Hosted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Cancer Survivorship Series
June 2 – 30
Hosted by the National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion, CDC
CDC Personnel
Retirements
Karen McCaustland, research microbiologist, Biotechnology Core Facility Branch, CCID, May 30.
CDC History
May 31, 1989: Members of the World Health Organization resolved May 31 would be World No Tobacco Day. This declaration was to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic, the preventable death and disease it caused, and to encourage people who use tobacco to quit for at least 24 hours. Free resources on quitting smoking are available on cdc.gov.
Source: World No-Tobacco Day—May 31, 1996. MMWR 1996;45(20):413.
Source: The World Health Organization Web site.
Source: CDC Smoking and Tobacco Use Web site.
Get Informed
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CDC Partnership Matters: Reader's Feedback
The bi-weekly update is prepared by CDC's Division of Partnership and Strategic Alliances. Readers are welcome to comment by e-mail to cdcpartnerships@cdc.gov.
