While the VA has been successful in reducing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection rates, these infections remain a significant problem for hospitalized Veterans. Efforts to identify the most effective and cost-efficient control strategies must continue. The challenge is to understand which interventions have the greatest impact, alone and in combination, and how best to implement them in a particular healthcare environment. In addition, the benefit of targeting long-term care facilities such as VA Community Living Centers in MRSA prevention and the importance of physician and nurse team behaviors in influencing various types of control efforts are unknown. We expect the results of this project to have great impact in improving VA quality of care, both for identifying targets for current intervention and for informing future policy modifications.
