Kentucky’s Department of Public Health wants to upgrade its regulations that monitor healthcare-associated infections, or "HAIs".
Those are infections people get from a healthcare facility while they are receiving treatment for another condition. Last year, there were more than 9,500 investigations of these infections in Kentucky.
Dr. Kraig Humbaugh is the senior deputy commissioner for the Kentucky Department for Public Health. He says the department’s proposal would update HAI definitions, improve reporting methods and make the process more consistent with what’s happening nationally.
“We're one of the minority of states that currently don't have any mandated reporting of specific healthcare associated infections. This regulation will change that,” said Humbaugh.
Humbaugh says the new regulations would also help provide better data on infections.
The proposal is open for public comment until December 1.
