This news item has been sitting in my files since last year and while I’ve discussed it with a number of clients this blog allows me to share it with a wider audience. While it is happening in the U.S., I have no doubt that other jurisdictions will be watching:

“CMS officials in August 2007 announced that Medicare — beginning in October 2008 — no longer will reimburse hospitals for the treatment of preventable errors, injuries and infections that occur in the facilities. The eight conditions for which Medicare no longer will reimburse hospitals for treatment include: falls; mediastinitis, an infection that can develop after heart surgery; urinary tract infections that result from improper use of catheters; pressure ulcers; and vascular infections that result from improper use of catheters.”