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What is our purpose?

We are a grassroots organization dedicated to increasing hand cleaning rates between each patient and therefore lowering the incidence rate of hospital and healthcare outlet acquired infections. [Doc53]  We provide information for patients, encourage constructive reinforcement to health providers and promote legislation for hospitals to report infection rates.  And, we will not spread non-factual information.  To the best of our ability we will provide you source data links at every opportunity..   see Our Mission

What is motivating us? 

2 million people contract hospital acquired infections and 90,000 of them die.  One in twenty hospital patients contract infections from their caretakers.  Our daughter was one of these statistics.  see Brenna info  see Spreading Wings

6 years ago hospital acquired infections were the #10 leading cause of death.  2 years ago hospital acquired infections were #8 leading killer - AT WHAT POINT IS THIS PROBLEM GOING TO GET THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES?  In 1994 there were 33 million hospital admissions {CDC Campaign] [b50].  The current rate of hospital acquired infections is 1 in 20.  Are we going to wait until the rate is 15 in 20?  Listen folks, something has got to change.  The hospitals think this problem is just a matter-of-fact.  Some 'outside the box' thinking has to be done.  I have my own ideas but that is not the subject of this website.  I want to help you today.

What is the problem?

Cleaning hands between patient contacts will greatly reduce the spread of contact infections, yet hospitals only average 48% compliance and as low as 12% during high workload periods.  In fact, one of the largest studies actually shows that hospital infections have increased.  [b50] Fast Facts about Hospital-Acquired Infections [Doc58]  

Many health care professionals think that MRSA is everywhere and that everyone has these bacteria on their skin.  So what's the use?  This thinking is incorrect.  See the CDC Information for the Public about this issue.  

What are we doing?

1. We hand out business size cards to people to be used as an aid to constructively reinforce good hand hygiene.  see why we were formed
2. We provide this website with reliable source information.  see bibliography
3. We are trying to influence legislation to require hospitals to publish their infection rates.[Doc52]  Coming Soon.

What can you do?

There are two important things that you can do:

1. Encourage health care professionals to 'clean their hands' between patients.  To break this chain you have to insist that your health care providers clean their hands before they touch you or your bedding.  see More
2. Tell others about the importance of hand hygiene adherence.  Give others an 'Action Pack' so they can use this ice breaking tool to encourage hand cleaning between each and every patient.  Action Pack

But, there are other sites like this

Yes, there are several sites that are dedicated to hospital infection and related problems.  And, we hope that more are formed.  Here are the differences that form our niche.

• Our site is for citizens, not for health care staff.
• We promote patients to constructively reinforce health care providers to clean their hands between patients.  see why we were formed
• Some grass roots websites and blogs make bold unsupported statements.  We footnote all of our findings.
• You will find links to every website we find related to this purpose.  see our Links

Our pledge for reliable data

Our research has show us that there is a lot of mis-information and conflicting information on the internet.  We pledge that we will quote our source for every fact or quoted opinion found on this website.  Should you find an unsupported or incorrectly quoted fact, please don't hesitate to contact us.  We only want to quote verifiable data that you can use in confidence.  see Bibliography