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Outside the intensive care unit, catheters remain in place for a longer duration; therefore, it is important to ensure the use of appropriate line maintenance practices by nursing staff. Starting in 2008, six hospitals in the Rochester area joined together to initiate surveillance and to reduce…
NuHealth Nassau University Medical Center identified central line-associated blood stream infection as a focus for corporate process improvement. Senior leaders reallocated existing resources for a robust performance improvement effort. Leadership worked collaboratively to identify improved…
In 2005, North Shore University Hospital's president and chief executive officer made a commitment to develop a standardized approach to control the incidence of hospital-acquired infections and improve infection control practices across the entire organization. A zerotolerance for infection…
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement estimates that 48 percent of intensive care unit patients have central venous lines. Attributable mortality from line-associated blood stream infections is between 4 percent and 20 percent, or between 800 and 4,000 deaths each year. Central line associated…
Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Healthcare Center created the hospital point of dispensing (HPOD) to mass-vaccinate staff to protect patients during influenza season. All staff are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated at one of the HPODs, which takes about seven minutes per staff member, on…
In 2005, Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Healthcare Center's leadership directed implementation of the central line-associated blood stream infection bundle as part of a strategic effort to decrease mortality, prevent avoidable harm, and increase patient safety. The directors of the…
In the fourth quarter of 2009, Lutheran Medical Center conducted a pilot study on three medical/surgical units and determined that its baseline rate for catheter-associated urinary tract infections was 14.1 per 1,000 catheter days. The national benchmark for medical/surgical units is 4.9. The goal…
Ventilator-associated pneumonia and central line-associated infections data for the third quarter of 2008 showed inconsistent compliance with practice standards. A leadership team was developed to hard-wire effective communication, continuity of care, and ongoing staff and patient education. On…
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection remains the most common health care-acquired infection. To address this, Glens Falls Hospital created an interdisciplinary committee to reduce the CAUTI rate. The hospital focused on removing the Foley catheter as soon as clinically possible, and managing…
Motivated by two years of high central line associated blood stream infection rates in the intensive care unit, Ellis Medicine undertook a reduction initiative. The successful strategies are now being applied toward a goal of eliminating health careacquired infections, and to inculcate a hospital-…