A new study shows that thousands of people die from hospital infections each year.

The study, reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found 48,000 people died nationwide because of pneumonia and blood-borne infections caught in hospitals.

Those who survived the diseases had to be treated in the hospital for an extra cost of $81 billion.

The study looked at 69 million patient discharge records from 1998 to 2006.

With thousands of patients coming in and out of these hospitals every day, are these infections preventable or are they simply a part of the price of receiving care?

Just three years ago, the number of hospital acquired infections at Strong Memorial Hospital was above the national average.

"I was taught and many physicians were taught that infections that occur in hospitals were complications of care and that you can't avoid them," said Michael Apostolakos, Strong Memorial Hospital.

A simple sanitation program called "Stop the Line" has made a big difference.

"Our rates are the best in the country now," Apostolakos said.

Anyone involved in treating a patient is urged to take an active role in safety protocol. Proper patient ventilation practices using proper sanitation when drawing blood or inserting a catheter is now everyone's responsibility.

"We've developed checklists to remind people," he said. "That's enabled us to do these things on a consistent basis and we check each other."

A team approach to infection prevention has cut the number of these patient infections in half at Rochester General Hospital.

"This doesn't belong to the infection prevention staff. This doesn't belong to the medical staff. It belongs to all of us," said Linda Greene, Rochester General Hospital.

Patients themselves are also encouraged to take an active role.

"It's your responsibility as a patient. It's our responsibility as care providers and if we work together we can really improve health care," Greene said.

Pneumonia and staff infections are not only deadly, they cost the health care system millions, but preventing them isn't costly.

"It needs a change of attitude in the medical industry," Apostolakos said.

Some say all it takes is a new perspective.

"Right now, like a lot of people, I can tell you I'm a changed physician and we can prevent these things," Apostolakos expressed.

Both Highland Hospital and Unity Health System told YNN they have also put an emphasis on simple sanitation techniques.

Archives of Internal Medicine