Legionella and other Waterborne Illness in Healthcare Facilities

According to the CDC, healthcare costs for just three common waterborne diseases amount to $539 million annually. According to Medicare data presented in the Federal Register, the average cost of a hospital stay for a patient with Legionnaires' Disease was $86,014.3 Despite the costs, notoriety, and prevalence of water borne diseases, these infections are largely preventable.

  • In healthy individuals, microbial exposures from aqueous sources are typically cleared by functioning immune defenses.
  • With immunocompromised patients in healthcare facilities however, there is greater risk of infection and emerging evidence demonstrates that hospital tap water is a primary source for many of these infections.
  • While Legionnaires' Disease frequently steals the headlines, outbreaks of other water borne gram negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. along with fungal Aspergillus spp. can be far more serious.

What Can Be Done To Protect Your Patients?

INFECTION PREVENTION BEGINS WITH HERMA

Components of the HERMA Legionella/Waterborne Illness Prevention Program

  • Provide resources, education and tools for HERMA facilities to implement standardized Legionella/waterborne illness risk management programs in compliance with best industry practice.
  • Document healthcare worker training and implementation of waterborne infection risk reduction strategies
  • Provide risk management consultation and response strategies when issues arise
  • Develop self-reporting protocols with defensible third party auditing for facilities to demonstrate program compliance, validation, and verification which will allow for the purchase of definitive insurance coverage for Legionella and other waterborne pathogens.

Benefits of the HERMA Legionella/Waterborne Illness Prevention Program

TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS (HAIs ) RESULTING FROM WATERBORNE PATHOGENS THEREBY PROTECTING PATIENTS, REDUCING POTENTIAL FINANCIAL IMPACT, MITIGATING LIABILITY, AND RESULTING IN A HIGHER STANDARD OF CARE.

For Additional Information email info@HERMAResources.org.