Recent healthcare reform has aimed to make medical care better for everyone in the country. From mandatory health insurance to increased oversight of healthcare practices, the stage has been set to transform the industry.

A number of hospitals in Illinois aren't waiting until 2014 to step it up a notch. A group of almost 200 hospitals are "Raising the Bar" with the Illinois Hospital Association.

The initiative aims to decrease hospital readmissions and acquired infections over a three-year span.

"Quality care is a core priority for our hospitals, and by pledging to 'Raise the Bar' on health care quality and safety, our hospitals have reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that every patient gets the right care, at the right time, in the right setting," says IHA president Maryjane Wurth.

Reducing the number of readmissions could save the healthcare industry money as well as create a better experience for patients. The Commonwealth Fund says that 20 percent of Medicare patients discharged in 2003 and 2004 had to be readmitted within 30 days.