Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)

The mission of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) is to protect patients; protect healthcare personnel; and promote safety, quality, and value in both national and international healthcare delivery systems.

Activities

In carrying out its mission, DHQP:

• Measures, validates, interprets, and responds to data relevant to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs); antimicrobial resistance; adverse drug events; blood, organ and tissue safety; and immunization safety; and other related adverse events or medical errors in healthcare affecting patients and healthcare personnel;
• investigates and responds to emerging infections and related adverse events among patients and healthcare personnel;
• develops and maintains the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), a tool for monitoring healthcare-associated infections, measuring healthcare outcomes and processes, and monitoring healthcare worker vaccination and selected health measures in healthcare facilities;
• assesses rates of infections caused by resistant-bacteria in the U.S. through active surveillance, review of national healthcare data sets, and laboratory surveillance programs;
• conducts epidemiologic, and basic and applied laboratory research to identify new strategies to prevent infections, antimicrobial resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors, especially those associated with medical or surgical procedures, indwelling medical devices, contaminated products, dialysis, and water;
• collaborates with academic and public health partners to design, develop, and evaluate the efficacy of interventions for preventing infections and reducing antimicrobial resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors;
• develops and disseminates evidence-based guidelines and recommendations to prevent and control HAIs, antimicrobial resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors;
• promotes the nationwide implementation of Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) recommendations and other evidence-based interventions to prevent HAIs, antimicrobial resistance, and related adverse events or medical errors among patients and healthcare personnel;
• evaluates the impact of evidence-based recommendations and interventions across the spectrum of healthcare delivery sites;
• develops, implements, and evaluates the effectiveness of interventions to prevent transmission of healthcare-associated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other bloodborne infections;
• serves as the national reference laboratory for the identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of staphylococci, anaerobic bacteria, non-tuberculosis mycobacterial, and those gram-negative bacilli that cause healthcare-associated infections;
• serves as the technical reference laboratory for detection and characterization of other pathogens related to healthcare; and for characterizing the contribution of healthcare environment to HAIs;
• coordinates guidance and research related to infection control across the agency and with national and international partners;
• monitors vaccine safety and conducts research to evaluate the safety of available and new vaccines;
• promotes the integration of the healthcare delivery system in federal, state, and local public health preparedness planning;
• trains Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers and other trainees;
• coordinates antimicrobial resistance activities at CDC;
• works in national leadership capacity with public and private organizations to enhance antimicrobial resistance prevention and control, surveillance and response, and applied research;
• coordinates blood, organ, and other tissue safety at CDC; and
• provides expertise and assistance to HHS and other federal agencies on efforts and activities related to health reform.

Organizational Structure

DHQP is composed of an Office of the Director, one activity, three branches, and one office:

• Program Implementation and Integration Activity
• Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch
• Prevention and Response Branch
• Surveillance Branch
• Immunization Safety Office