Here are the 50 states and the District of Columbia listed according to their progress in reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections based on data from July 2011 to June 2012.
The CLABSI rates are those reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network and listed in CMS' Hospital Compare database. The rate is reported as a standardized infection ratio — a measure that compares the number of central line infections that occurred to the number of infections that would be predicted based on national, historical baseline data, which in this case is data reported from 2006 through 2008. The SIR also accounts for differences in the types of patients a hospital treats and differences in hospital characteristics such as size.
SIRs that are less than one indicate the hospital had fewer CLABSIs than would be predicted. Subtracting the SIR from one shows the percent decrease in CLABSIs from baseline. For example, an SIR of 0.80 means there was a 20 percent reduction from baseline. SIRs greater than one indicate infection rates were higher than would be predicted. Subtracting 1 from the SIR shows the percent increase. For example, an SIR of 1.25 means there was a 25 percent increase from baseline.
Here, the states are listed from smallest to largest SIR, or from the states showing the most progress in reducing CLABSI rates to states showing the least progress.
Note: States' SIRs show their individual progress in reducing CLABSIs and are not meant to compare actual CLABSI rates among states.
Hawaii — 0.11
Vermont — 0.18
South Dakota — 0.27
North Dakota — 0.39
Michigan — 0.4
Oregon — 0.41
Washington — 0.43
Idaho — 0.44
West Virginia — 0.44
Massachusetts — 0.45
Missouri — 0.46
Nevada — 0.46
Kansas — 0.48
Minnesota — 0.48
Oklahoma — 0.48
Colorado — 0.5
Arkansas — 0.51
Wyoming — 0.51
California — 0.52
Pennsylvania — 0.52
Indiana — 0.53
North Carolina — 0.53
Ohio — 0.53
Connecticut — 0.54
Texas — 0.54
Florida — 0.56
Montana — 0.59
Utah — 0.59
Iowa — 0.61
Virginia — 0.61
Arizona — 0.63
Maryland — 0.63
New Mexico — 0.63
New York — 0.63
Alabama — 0.66
Illinois — 0.66
Wisconsin — 0.66
Louisiana — 0.7
Tennessee — 0.7
South Carolina — 0.71
District of Columbia — 0.74
Kentucky — 0.74
New Jersey — 0.77
Delaware — 0.79
Georgia — 0.79
New Hampshire — 0.79
Mississippi — 0.8
Nebraska — 0.84
Rhode Island — 0.95
Maine — 1.24
Alaska — 1.31