In particular, a potential patient might want to know MRSA case rates when selecting hospitals or other medical treatment facilities.
Actually I have all sorts of examples of the above, but the point is that oftentimes the data is "corrupted" on the way to the collection point(s). Anyways, the executive (VP of some bullshit) got his walking papers and funnily enough, no more reportable line infections that didn't come from lines.
So at least sometimes there are happy endings, sort of...
Reporting incorrect data can be worse than reporting nothing at all. Here are the guidelines: http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/faqs/faqs-v-6_clabsi.pdf
CLIs are only supposed to be reported when the central line can reasonably be implicated as the vector and the blood is the primary infection site. Neither was established.
As far as cleaning up procedures, there will always be room for further improvement, but that's no reason to accept a $2 million fine (which still had to be paid) as a cost of doing business when the "root cause" was incorrect reporting.