The 562-bed academic medical center has had a special focus on reducing HAIs since 2008, when it started forming teams to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections and other HAIs. Those teams have had significant results.
By 2013, the hospital reduced CLABSIs in the medical ICU by 77 percent. CLABSIs in six of its outpatient dialysis centers also dropped by 83 percent. Additionally, two surgeon-directed initiatives led to fewer surgical site infections —
infection rates for total knee and hip joint replacement in the last 12 months are 81 percent lower than the 2009-2010 baseline rates, orthopedic spinal fusion SSIs have dropped 62 percent, and the hospital’s surgeons have performed 1,677 infection-free total knee surgeries.
“Successful infection prevention programs, as demonstrated by the 2014 Partnership in Prevention Award recipient, require a multi-faceted approach to infection prevention and control,” said Jennie L. Mayfield, BSN, MPH, president of APIC. “UVM Medical Center addressed HAIs at every level and throughout its care settings, achieving tremendous results. Their organization-wide achievements serve as an excellent model for other facilities seeking to reduce healthcare-associated infections.”
The Partnership in Prevention Award, co-sponsored by HHS, APIC and SHEA, is given annually and is based on the concepts of the “National Action Plan to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections: Roadmap to Elimination,” presented by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
More articles on infection prevention:
Global HAI market: 5 things to know
Madagascar hit with plague outbreak
New tool helps hospitals identify local flu outbreaks
