PHRI's program to help NJ hospitals reduce the spread of hospital-acquired infections was initiated with a $1,000,000 grant from the New Jersey legislature, so legislators are naturally interested in how the program is going. This interest has resulted in a series of meetings hosted by legislators, to which are invited hospital and public health officials located in or near the legislative districts. PHRI Program Co-Directors Dr. Barry Kreiswirth and Suzanne Lutwick provide a program overview and present aggregate data regarding the number and type of infectious isolates which have been DNA fingerprinted by PHRI. (NOTE: specific hospital data is never presented, and is maintained in strict confidence between PHRI and the hospital.) Then there is a discussion of what has been learned, how the DNA data may most productively be used, and what problems, if any, have been encountered. The progress of the program and next steps are also reviewed.

The following meetings have been held or scheduled:

• NJ Assemblymen Louis Greenwald, with fellow Assemblymen Jack Connors and John J. Burzichelli, hosted a meeting, held in Cherry Hill, NJ on November 1, 2002.
  
• NJ Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew will host a meeting in Vineland, NJ on May 15, 2003.
  
• NJ Assemblywomen Loretta Weinberg, Joan Quigley and Elba Perez-Cinciarelli are currently planning a meeting for June 2003.
  

It is anticipated that additional meetings will be scheduled in other areas of the state later in 2003.

NJ Assemblymen Jack Connors, Louis Greenwald,
and John J. Burzichelli participate with hospital
and public health personnel in a meeting,
held in Cherry Hill, NJ, to introduce
PHRI's hospital infection program.