Reporting is just a start toward reducing infections

The tragic number of health care-associated infections cited in Pennsylvania's Health Care Cost Containment Council report ("Alarms Raised on Hospital Infections," July 13) brings to the fore this crucial issue of patient safety.

The council's use of billing data to convey infection rates fails to recognize that one infection treated five times may result in five hospital bills, but it is still only one infection. The use of billing data to convey infection rates is misleading at best and is a cause of great concern to the 10,000-member Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. For this very reason, APIC recently called for a national standard for collecting, analyzing and reporting infection data in an effort to create a consistent, scientifically sound system that will allow patients to make informed decisions. Our patients deserve no less from their health-care providers.

The effort to prevent infections has been APIC's goal for more than three decades. In keeping with this mission, infection-prevention professionals promote zero tolerance for health care-associated infections. And while not all health care-associated infections can be prevented, APIC believes that when patients and health-care professionals work together, infections can be reduced to their lowest possible level.

Reporting infection rates is not the same as reducing rates. For years, APIC has been working to draw public attention to the importance of infection prevention and control. Now that the level of awareness has been heightened, it is important that this momentum not be lost.

SUE SEBAZCO
President

KATHLEEN MEEHAN ARIAS
President-elect

KATHY L. WARYE
Executive Director
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
Washington, D.C.

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Patients neglected

I am totally appalled by information in "Nursing Home's Fraud Trial Is to Start" (July 18), regarding Martha F. Bell, former administrator of Ronald Reagan Atrium I Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Apparently, the Alzheimer's Association, which honored this woman in May, does not care about the disgrace she has brought to their organization.

Also, the National Republican Congressional Committee, which claims that it was not aware of her background, gave her another award.

My family was directly affected by this woman's total lack of concern for elderly patients and only greed for herself.

I would hope that U.S. District Judge Terrence McVerry, who allowed Martha Bell to leave Western Pennsylvania on many, many occasions while out on bond, never has to experience the deplorable conditions my father endured while at Atrium. This whole situation is way beyond my understanding of the law.

MARGARET LOUSHIL GENTILE
Coraopolis

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Not moral messages

As a teacher for the Diocese of Pittsburgh for 14 years, one important lesson I learned was that no matter what I said to the child, whatever the parents said superseded my message. What parents say and how they live sends a message stronger than any teacher's voice no matter what the issue.

Sen. Rick Santorum and his wife have taught their children a powerful lesson on civic responsibility by refusing to pay any tuition money to the Penn Hills School District for their children who attended the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School ("Penn Hills Loses Bid to Charge Santorum," July 12). Released from that payment on a technicality shows that even an upstanding, moral gentleman like Sen. Santorum teaches his children the following lessons:

1) Take advantage of the system whenever you can.

2) The little guy pays while the rich and powerful guy gets away with it.

3) As a Catholic, you have no obligation to pay your share to the common good in spite of Catholic social doctrine.

Finally, I am shocked that our religious leaders who see Sen. Santorum as some sort of faith-and-morals hero have not spoken up on this issue at all.

SISTER LIGUORI ROSSNER
Sisters for Christian Community
Bloomfield

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Trim Legislature

With all the criticism that Pennsylvania legislators have levied against Pittsburgh, I think it is interesting that they have the same, or more serious, problems as our city.

Pennsylvania apparently has more legislators per capita than most states in the country. The recent pay raise that they granted themselves just aggravates the problem.

To think that these legislators will resolve the problem is ridiculous.

I think that an oversight committee should be established for Pennsylvania, similar to the one for Pittsburgh. Its primary charge would be to establish the appropriate size of the legislature necessary to properly govern our state and the attendant redistricting required.

C.P. ROONEY
Upper St. Clair

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Respect elders

How refreshing it was to read "A Winning Hand: Growing Old Shouldn't Mean Folding Your Cards" by Robert Perloff (July 16 First Person).

This column about growing old made me realize how very much I miss the wisdom of my grandparents. I learned so much from their life experience.

And although I am 39 years old, I still heed my parents' advice. The words of wisdom my mother gave me about marriage when I was tying the knot almost five years ago have helped me to maintain a great relationship with my husband.

My neighborhood used to be a decent, working-class neighborhood when I was a little girl some 25 to 30 years ago. But as I drive through it now, I see kids who, out of defiance, won't get out of the way of oncoming traffic, 8-year-olds riding their bicycles in the street at 9 and 10 p.m. and young people who don't know the meaning of "respect your elders," I don't become angry with them. Instead I feel sorry for them because they do not realize what a blessing it is to have an elder impart values and wisdom that will help them to be successful adults.

It is too bad that our country is so youth-focused. Growing old should not be about trying to find ways to stay young. It should not be about trying to convince those younger than us that we are still useful. It should not be about trying to one-up our companions and friends with the best body-ache story. It has always been my belief that those who are older than I am are more experienced and, therefore, wiser.

When I was a youngster, it was made very clear to me that my elders were there to keep society civil, sane and serene. With a youth-dominated country, no wonder there is so much wrong in society today.

NATALIE THOMAS
Wilkinsburg

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It's generational

In "Minding Our Manners" (July 17 Forum), John F. Waldron does not address the role of the times we live in when speaking of the lack of manners. The young mother who is thankful for the polite attention of a stranger might as easily have been influenced by the suspicion and mistrust of strangers taught her generation. My naive generation was raised to offer all possible aid to strangers. Mr. Waldron's attitude toward unsolicited help may be mostly generational.

My second reaction to his essay was to recall that on a recent trip to Russia, a young man of perhaps 25 yielded his underground Metro seat to my wife. Immediately, a young lady got up from beside my wife for my benefit. We were impressed. Manners are alive and well in Moscow.

PHILIP S. SLAUGH
West Mifflin

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He takes pride in his family's service to their adopted country

Bravo for "Sons of Civil War Veterans to Honor Chinese War Hero" (July 9). It is refreshing to read something that is not bashing China these days!

The recent media coverage of China's offer to buy Unocal Corp. and the invasion of Chinese goods via Wal-Mart has Americans' collective attention. But Chinese have always contributed to America's growth and prosperity, even to America's wars.

I served in the U.S. Air Force as an interpreter attached to Chinese Nationalist Air Force cadets training at Scott Air Force base, near St. Louis, during World War II.

And my uncle served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the same period. After basic training, he was sent to the Philippines. During the fall of the islands to the Japanese, he became a prisoner of war at Luzon for three years. During the confusion at the end of the war, his camp was struck by friendly fire from a U.S. aircraft, which mistook the POWs for Japanese.

My uncle received a Purple Heart but never got to enjoy the benefits of U.S. citizenship (he was an illegal alien when he entered the United States). His posthumous award was little comfort to our family. Although he died needlessly in the horrors of war, he remained a hero in defense of his adopted country!

YEE YUEN
Mt. Lebanon