@HCDMagazine just published a very interesting article where they quote Linda Dickey, senior director of quality, safety, and infection prevention at the University of California Irvine Medical Center who says: “Twenty years ago it was a “forgone conclusion” that some patients would contract a healthcare-associated infection (HAI).” Today, however, thanks to public reporting, reimbursement payments tied to HAI rates, and regulators expecting prevention measures to be put in place within healthcare environments, progress in prevention is happening according to Dickey.

This is a very interesting article which highlights that healthcare design should also support easy cleaning of surfaces….remove barriers in materials and configuration and reduce hard-to-clean items like curtains and porous surfaces.” .

With more than 1 million HAIs reported annually, costing $30 billion a year, according to the article, healthcare facilities must adopt preventative practices to avoid many problems and mitigate human and financial risk.