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March 25, 2025
Media contact: Timothy Heider, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
New OHA data show progress in fighting health care-associated infections in Oregon hospitals
PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon hospitals recorded a slight decrease in health care-associated infections (HAIs) among hospitalized patients in 2023 and met federally established reduction goals in various infection categories, according to newly published Oregon Health Authority (OHA) data.
The new data, published by the Healthcare-Associated Infections Program within OHA’s Public Health Division, showed some improvement in reducing infections acquired in hospitals between 2022 and 2023; however, more work needs to be done to reach national reduction targets across all categories.
Among the largest reductions were seen in catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) in hospitals, which met federal reduction standards for acute care hospitals in 2023.
Oregon acute care hospitals also showed progress with central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (MRSA BSI).
Oregon critical access hospitals did show a large increase in CLABSI’s and a moderate increase in MRSA BSIs. The large increase in CLABSI’s is attributed to four separate critical access hospitals reporting events in 2023, compared to just one in 2022.
“While progress has been identified in some areas, data show that patients in Oregon are still acquiring HAIs in greater numbers than the national average for many types of infections,” said Dat Tran, M.D., HAI Program medical director. “We remain committed to supporting health care facilities in Oregon to enhance infection control and prevent HAIs.”
The dashboard contains HAI data for 61 individual hospitals in Oregon. It provides statewide summaries and facility-specific data of Oregon hospital performance on nine HAI metrics, with comparable national benchmarks.
OHA works to prevent infections because of the significant risk to patient safety. On a given day, one in every 31 patients in U.S. hospitals will get an infection in a hospital or health care setting.
In 2023, Oregon hospitals reported 975 such injuries.
OHA monitors state and regional trends and supports statewide efforts to reduce HAIs by:
- Conducting studies to assess and understand current trends.
- Providing one-on-one infection control technical assistance to statewide health care facilities to support them in meeting targets.
- Collaborating with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to offer direct-to-provider infection control education to ensure all health care staff have the tools to prevent health care-associated infections.
Health care providers work diligently to control these infections in the interest of patient safety.
There also are infection prevention strategies that families, friends and the public visiting these settings can follow. Visitors to health care settings should frequently wash their hands, look for worsening signs and symptoms of infection, and notify providers of these signs and symptoms.
Visitors should follow facility infection prevention policies and procedures. Most importantly, visitors should avoid visiting a facility if they are sick.
Increasing awareness and education about primary prevention, public health risks and preventive health services are among actions OHA is taking as part of its 2024–2027 Strategic Plan.
Learn more about how OHA is working to foster health families and communities on our website.
Click here to learn more about OHA’s HAI program, the impacts of infection and prevention steps.
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