The Hawaii Medical Service Association announced its support of a national effort to eliminate deadly bloodstream infections in hospitals.

HMSA has been working with Hawaii hospitals to join forces with hospital organizations across the country to put a stop to bloodstream infections in intensive care units.

Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a national initiative to "Stop Bloodstream Infections" is implementing a comprehensive patient safety program in hospitals in nearly a dozen states. States participating in the effort include California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.

The work that led to the initiative is based on a system developed by Dr. Peter J. Pronovost, of the Johns Hopkins University Quality and Safety Research Group. It was implemented in Michigan by Johns Hopkins and the local hospital association, and has generated "significant results," according to a news release from HMSA.