In October 2008, changes to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Inpatient Prospective Payment System will take effect, potentially reducing reimbursement for certain hospital-acquired conditions, including HAIs.

"The effect of HAIs annually on U.S. hospitals is staggering," said Kathy Warye, CEO of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. "Two million patients infected; 90,000 deaths, more than one death every six minutes; excess costs of nearly $6 billion. Healthcare leaders must make infection prevention a priority and allocate resources to efforts that target institution-wide prevention, education, measurement and process improvements."

The project will be using data performance improvement and infection surveillance technology along with data reporting work, according to Warye.

"The technologies exist and are available for purchase, so why squander the useful time of a staff member?" she asked.

The task force will identify short and long-term goals for the redesign later this week. Executives would like to release an initial draft of a completed action plan by the end of the current administration, and are looking for as much public comment as possible.