For Immediate Release
May 24, 2007
Contact:  Lisa Landis
Legislative Assistant
717-787-6709
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Senator Brubaker recognizes MRSA Awareness Week with local event

LITITZ – State Senator Mike Brubaker (R-36) gathered members of the community yesterday at the Heart of Lancaster Hospital in Lititz to bring attention to the impact of MRSA and ways in which the infection can be prevented.

On May 1, the state Senate unanimously adopted Senate Resolution 92, Senator Brubaker's resolution designating the week of May 20, 2007, as MRSA Awareness Week in Pennsylvania. MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus auerus, is a type of staphylococcal infection that is resistant to treatment with the usual antibiotics and comprises 63 percent of all such resistant infections.

"During a visit to the VA Medical Center in Lebanon several months ago, I was very interested to learn about MRSA," Senator Brubaker said. "Although I am aware of the impact of hospital-acquired infections, I was struck by the unique nature of MRSA and its prevalence both in and out of health care settings."

MRSA is a skin infection that occurs most frequently among individuals in hospitals and health care settings, particularly the elderly and those with open wounds. In these cases, the infection often causes longer and more expensive hospital stays. However, groups with close contact to each other who may lack proper hygiene behaviors, such as competitive sports teams and child care centers, are also vulnerable to the infection.

"After learning about the significance of MRSA, I felt this was information that needed to be shared with my Senate colleagues and the citizens of Pennsylvania, which is why I acted to have this week designated to encourage awareness," Brubaker said.

Dr. Rick Hartman, chief of pathology at the Lebanon VA Medical Center, and Theresa Haley with the Center, spoke to representatives of local child care centers who were invited to the Heart of Lancaster Hospital for yesterday's event, sponsored by Brubaker.

"Other countries, such as Denmark and Finland, have successfully controlled MRSA through aggressive action, and the national VA hospital system here in the United States has also made it a goal to completely eradicate the infection in its hospitals," said Dr. Hartman, who offers his presentations and programs about MRSA prevention around the country.

Haley also spoke about practical steps individuals can take to prevent the spread of the infection.

"Anyone, not just an infected patient, can be a vehicle for the spread of MRSA through skin-to-skin contact. The good news is that we can prevent MRSA from occurring by developing good personal hygiene habits," Brubaker said. "This is the message I believe needs to be spread if we want to control and prevent the infection from spreading."

Nathan Flood, chief of staff to Senator Brubaker, presented Dr. Hartman with a copy of Senate Resolution 92 following his presentation in recognition of his role in bringing this matter to the Senator's attention.

In addition, Eric Gaumer, Outreach Coordinator for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) with Capital Blue Cross, was available to present background and contact information about CHIP.

"I want to thank the Heart of Lancaster Hospital for hosting this very informative event this afternoon, and to express my gratitude to Dr. Hartman for his hard work on this issue," Brubaker said. "Certainly, the health of my constituents and all Pennsylvanians is a critical matter, and I will continue listening and learning so that I can better serve the 36th District."