[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HEALTHY HOSPITALS ACT

  (Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, yesterday's headlines 
stated that more people will die from MRSA infections than die from 
AIDS, but that's just the beginning of the story, for actually some 
90,000 people will likely die this year from an infection they pick up 
in a hospital or receiving health care. Tragic news. We also hear about 
students in school who have died from MRSA infections. But the point is 
hospitals are taking actions to reduce its infection rates, and yet 
Congress is not doing anything to help address this issue.
  We can do something about it by passing legislation I've introduced, 
H.R. 1174, the Healthy Hospitals Act. My legislation would require 
hospitals to report infection rates. After all, people can find out if 
their airline is on time; why not be able to find out if your hospital 
is infection free. Nineteen States currently require reporting, and 
several other States are considering legislation. Medicare earlier this 
summer began denying hospitals reimbursement for hospital-related 
infections.
  It is long overdue that Congress act. Let's standardize hospital 
reporting practices and fight hospital-related infections. I ask my 
colleagues to please cosponsor the Healthy Hospitals Act.

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