Stopping hospital-associated infections is a priority at Saginaw-area hospitals, according to an article on the M-Live website.

Officials at Saginaw's Covenant HealthCare and St. Mary's of Michigan hospital say safe patient care is a priority, and they've made strides to reduce health care-associated infections by focusing on hand hygiene and isolating infected patients, among other tactics, according to an article.

BJ Helton, patient safety and quality manager at Covenant, said the most important thing health care providers and patients can do also is one of the simplest.

"Hand washing is critical because it's the thing that's going to break the chain," Helton said in the article. "... It is the biggest interference in transmission that you can get, and it's one of the easiest things to do."

St. Mary's also has a "wash in, wash out" policy, meaning hand hygiene — washing with soap and water or using alcohol gel — must be performed before and after patient care.

Helton said isolation and proper cleaning of rooms are other tactics used to prevent the spread of infection.

"When we have a C. diff isolation patient, we go in daily with a 10 percent bleach solution, after we've washed every touch area with our normal house disinfectant, then they go in with the 10 percent bleach and wipe down the high-touch areas: phones, table tops, bed rails, the door knob, etc.," she said in the article.

And afterward, everything in the room — from curtains to equipment — is cleaned.

"It's been a little harsh on our furniture. We've gone through some things maybe a little faster than we normally would because bleach is harsh, but it's been worth it," Helton said.

Read the article.