This document discusses the history and importance of infection control in hospitals. It begins by honoring Ignaz Semmelweiss, who in the 1800s established the link between doctors not washing hands and high maternal mortality. The document then discusses the emergence of hospital-acquired infections as a major health problem, killing 90,000 patients per year. It provides an overview of infection control programs, surveillance techniques, guidelines, and the involvement of physicians in quality improvement efforts to reduce infections.