MRSA Infections Continue to Go Unreported

Link: MRSA Infections Continue to Go Unreported | New Hampshire Public Radio.

So far, only a few states, not including New Hampshire, list MRSA as a pathogen that should be reported publicly. In New Hampshire, the legislature created a commission in 2005 to review and analyze hospital medical errors, unexpected adverse outcomes, and near misses. The New Hampshire Health Care Quality Assurance Commission is made up primarily of hospital representatives. Stephanie Wolf- Rosenblum, who is vice president of medical affairs at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, chairs the commission. She says that the group isn’t charged with a focus on MRSA per se - but that they certainly understand how important it is. WOLF-ROSENBLUM: “Professionals in state of New Hampshire have their eye on infections as being one of the most important if not the most important adverse outcome for a patient receiving care in one of our facilities. It shows that it is very high on our radar screen and we are very much interested in it.” Rosenblum’s group has been focusing on some preventable infections. But she says that decisions on whether to track and report MRSA fall under the purview of the Department of Health and Human Services. Jose Montero is the state epidemiologist at HHS. And he says that he just doesn’t have the resources to track MRSA rates at hospitals.