Healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs) & Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) Prevention Program

Why It’s Important

On any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection (HAI).
Each day one out of every 43 nursing home residents acquires at least one HAI.
Each year, more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur in the United States More than 35,000 people die as a result.
It costs more than $4.6 billion a year to treat infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant germs.
CDC estimates that U.S. doctors’ offices and emergency departments prescribe about 47 million antibiotic courses each year for infections that don’t need antibiotics.
Please see our other pages on the left hand navigation to see other resources for Healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs) & Antimicrobial Resistance.

What are healthcare-associated infections, or HAIs?

HAIs are infections people can get while receiving medical care—like during a hospital stay, having a surgical procedure, or an extended stay in a nursing home. These infections are a serious risk to patient/resident safety, but many can be prevented.

People are more likely to get HAIs if they:

Have surgery
Use medical devices like central lines or urinary catheters

What is antimicrobial resistance, or AR?

Preventing HAIs and AR is important because they:

Cause extra pain and suffering for patients/residents
Make hospital stays longer and more expensive
Can lead to long-term health problems
Make infections harder to treat
Are one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States and cost billions of dollars every year. By stopping these infections and fighting resistance, we help protect patients/residents, families, and healthcare workers.

Why Is It Important to Prevent HAIs and AR?

Preventing HAIs and AR is important because they:

Cause extra pain and suffering for patients/residents

Make hospital stays longer and more expensive
Can lead to long-term health problems
Make infections harder to treat
Are one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States and cost billions of dollars every year. By stopping these infections and fighting resistance, we help protect patients/residents, families, and healthcare workers.

HAI/AR Program Vision

Illinois is working to keep people safe and healthy by preventing infections that happen in healthcare settings. The goal is to stop the spread of HAIs and AR through teamwork, smart planning, and strong healthcare systems.

HAI/AR Program Mission

The mission of Illinois’ HAI/AR Program is to reduce infections by:

Teaching healthcare workers and the public
Sharing best practices
Tracking infection data
Creating smart policies
Improving healthcare quality

This work brings together healthcare providers, patients/residents, and other important partners across the state.

What is the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) doing to combat HAIs and AR?

For over twenty years, IDPH has been working with CDC and other partners to reduce and eliminate HAIs. The IDPH Division of Patient Safety & Quality, in partnership with the statewide HAI/AR Prevention Advisory Council, developed a five-year strategic plan to track and prevent HAIs and combat AR. IDPH works with partners to carry out the activities under the action plan.

What Is the HAI/AR Prevention Advisory Council?

The HAI/AR Prevention Advisory Council is a group led by IDPH. It includes experts from hospitals, public health, laboratories, academia, and community organizations who care about stopping infections and fighting drug-resistant germs.

What the Council Does:

Creates the Illinois HAI/AR Action Plan

Builds partnerships and teamwork across the state

Helps set goals and priorities

Shares advice and feedback

Supports programs that prevent infections and improve health care

Strategic Planning in 2023

In 2023, IDPH worked with over 80 healthcare leaders and experts to update the state’s HAI/AR Action Plan. They:

Reviewed current data on infections and resistance

Identified strengths and challenges

Set new goals to protect patients/residents and promote fairness in healthcare

This updated plan helps Illinois stay strong against infectious threats and ensures better health for everyone.

You can find the full list of Advisory Council members here.

Illinois Action Plan to Prevent HAIs and AR

What Is the Illinois HAI/AR Action Plan?

The Action Plan is a strategic plan to track and prevent HAIs and combat AR. The State Action Plan is a guide to help stop the spread of infections and make healthcare safer in Illinois. It shares information on how to prevent outbreaks, use antibiotics wisely, and fight dangerous germs that don’t respond to antibiotics. The plan also works to make sure all communities get fair and equal care. The main goals are quality and patient safety.

You can find the full list of Advisory Council members here.

What the Plan Focuses On

The plan has five main goals to help protect people:

Better Infection Prevention (Infection Prevention Infrastructure, Standards, Practices)
- Make sure all healthcare places follow strong rules to keep germs from spreading.
Be Ready for Outbreaks (Outbreak Preparedness and Response)
- Help hospitals, long-term care facilities, and clinics prepare for disease outbreaks
Use Antibiotics Wisely (Antimicrobial Stewardship)
- Teach doctors and patients/residents to use antibiotics only when needed so they still work in the future.
Stop Superbugs (Extensively Drug-Resistant Organisms)
- Track and fight germs that don’t respond to medicine (called drug-resistant germs).
Fair healthcare for everyone (Eliminating Health Disparities, Advancing Health Equity)
- Make sure all people—no matter where they live or who they are—get the same protection from infections.