What it means to you: Hospital-acquired infections cost health care organizations up to $4.5 billion each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medical expenses for patients who contract HAI are more than $20,000 higher than for patients who don't, according to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.

The scoop: Low-cost, common-sense preventive measures such as hand washing and timely removal of catheters far outweigh costs due to HAIs, according to an expert at Johns Hopkins. Read. One hospital's 15-component infection control program reduced transmission of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and resulted in annual savings of $189,318, according to a study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. Read.

Learn more: Start by becoming familiar with how much HAIs cost your hospital, urges an APIC report. Read. Financial benefits notwithstanding, infection control prevention can save lives and prevent diseases, benefiting both a hospital and its patients in intangible ways, according to the CDC. Read.