annually , hospital-acquired infections sicken 99,000 , kill 1.7 million in U.S . They add $ 246 million to health care costs Every year . Small changes -- using a checklist and brushing patients ' teeth -- can lower rates . I saw things getting worse , '' Torress-Cook said . Expert : Attitude is slowly shifting away from accepting infections as inevitable .
annually , hospital-acquired infections sicken 99,000 , kill 1.7 million in U.S . They add $ 246 million to health care costs Every year . Small changes -- using a checklist and brushing patients ' teeth -- can lower rates . Expert : Attitude is slowly shifting away from accepting infections as inevitable .