Healthcare Associated Infection Program (HAI) - Related Links

Maine Links

• Dirigo Health - Maine Legislature created DHA in 2003 as "an independent executive agency to arrange for the provision of comprehensive, affordable health care coverage to eligible small employers, including the self-employed, their employees and dependents, and individuals on a voluntary basis." The Legislature specified that DHA "is also responsible for monitoring and improving the quality of health care in this State."
• Maine Health Data Organization
• Maine Hospital Association (MHA) - provides leadership through advocacy, information and education, to support its members in fulfilling their mission to improve the health of their patients and communities they serve.
• Maine Quality Forum is a part of the Dirigo Health Agency and the Dirigo Health Reform. The Governor and the Legislature concluded that consumers needed a reliable resource for information about health maintenance, health care and quality of health care services and health information.
• Northeast Health Care Quality Foundation - The Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Maine

National Links

• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc (APIC) - A voluntary membership organization representing members of this profession.
• Baldrige National Quality Program - An American program, with rigorous standards, to recognize organizations that achieve excellence in seven key aspects of providing outstanding quality products or services.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - One of the foremost national agencies in the world that serve as reference centers and provides field services to support and advance public health.
  • National Healthcare Safety Network - A secure computer system run by CDC for hospitals throughout America to share information about their healthcare associated infection rates.
  • Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) - HICPAC is a federal advisory committee made up of 14 external infection control experts who provide advice and guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the practice of health care infection control, strategies for surveillance and prevention and control of health care associated infections in United States health care facilities.
  • CDC’s Diseases and Organisms in Healthcare Settings - List of HAI Diseeases and Organisms.
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - A federal agency that runs the national health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid.
• Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. - An independent testing board that certifies infection control professionals by formal examination.
• Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee - A panel of experts in the field who advise the CDC on matters of healthcare associated infection surveillance, control, and prevention.
• Hospital Compare- A quality tool provided by Medicare - A tool to find information on how well hospitals care for patients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures, and results from a survey of patients about the quality of care they received during a recent hospital stay. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide.
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement - A private organization devoted to improving the safety, effectiveness and quality of healthcare services globally. It advocates, educates, draws leaders together and initiates demonstration projects.
• International Organization for Standardization - An organization that accredits hospitals and other businesses based on their meeting published standards.
• National CDC Healthcare-Associated Infections
• Healthcare Safety Network (National NHSN) - a voluntary, secure, internet-based surveillance system that integrates and expands legacy patient and healthcare personnel safety surveillance systems managed by the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) at CDC.
• National Quality Forum - A national organization through which people from different industries work with experts to develop voluntary standards intended to improve healthcare quality.
• Northeast Health Care Quality Foundation (NHCQF) - a non-profit, educational health care organization, headquartered in Dover, New Hampshire.
  
• Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America - A voluntary membership organization representing members of this profession who have a medical degree or a graduate degree related to epidemiology.
  
• The Joint Commission - An organization that accredits hospitals and other healthcare facilities based on their meeting published standards.