The staff members at the 184-bed hospital use antibiotics sparingly , feed patients yogurt to replenish healthy bacteria in the gut and bathe patients daily , using a soap that maintains the natural pH of the patient 's skin , killing only bacteria that do n't belong there . Every year , hospital-acquired infections sicken 1.7 million , kill 99,000 in U.S . They add more than $ 28 billion to health care costs annually . Small changes -- using a checklist and brushing patients ' teeth -- can lower rates . Expert : Dr. David M. Nathan, director of the Center for Infection Control & Prevention at Georgetown University Medical Center Comment:
Every year , hospital-acquired infections sicken 1.7 million , kill 99,000 in U.S . They add more than $ 28 billion to health care costs annually . Small changes -- using a checklist and brushing patients ' teeth -- can lower rates . Expert : Dr. David M. Nathan, director of the Center for Infection Control & Prevention at Georgetown University Medical Center Comment: