Hospitals work hard to prevent infections and take measures to ensure the safest hospital environment for their patients. Part of that process is continually tracking and taking action to prevent hospital acquired infections (HAIs), and numbers show that these actions are working.
Jennifer Tweedie, RN, BSN, manager of infection prevention and safety at TAMC, said occasionally patients who go to a hospital for treatment of their acute illness are at risk of developing infections arising from the treatments or interventions the hospital staff administers.
“These types of infection cause an increase in necessary medical interventions, thereby increasing the costs of care while at the same time decreasing the timeliness of discharge from the hospital,” said Tweedie.
According to hospital statistics, the amount of HAIs at TAMC was reduced 33 percent, or one third, from 2012 to 2013. This translated to 130 less extra hospital days for patients and a cost savings of $192,000 to the hospital.
Depending on the treatments patients receive, there are several different types of infection risks. For instance, use of a catheter has the potential to lead to a urinary tract infection, and antibiotic treatments can cause an infection in the digestive track.
If a patient has a surgical procedure, then there is always risk for infection, particularly at the incision site. Other kinds of infection risks include developing pneumonia while on a ventilator or developing a blood infection while receiving a special type of line used for the administration of medications and fluid therapy.
“TAMC takes very seriously the duty of preventing the spread of infections. We employ a full-time registered nurse and a full-time infection prevention technician in the infection prevention department to ensure that availability to patients and staff is ever-present,” said Tweedie.
In addition, TAMC actively participates in a statewide collaborative to encourage the prevention of infection.
Prevention of infection can be as simple as stressing the importance of hand hygiene to staff and visitors, said Tweedie.
“Hand hygiene is the most important step in preventing HAIs,” she said. “We have observers all over our facilities to report whether or not hand hygiene is being performed regularly and adequately. We gather this data and share this with the Maine State CDC as all hospitals in Maine are currently doing.”
TAMC staff review microbiology reports daily to ensure that they are aware of all types of infections or potential infections patients are experiencing. Patients with infections are isolated from other patients to prevent the spread of various organisms. Communication with staff is critical to ensure this happens.
Preventing infection requires diligence on the part of TAMC staff in a wide array of areas. They implemented an antibiotic stewardship to review and monitor the utilization of antibiotics. The staff also monitors the utilization of best practices with certain devices including central lines, ventilators and urinary catheters. The infection prevention department works closely with the environmental services staff to ensure they are adhering to proper cleaning practices. The Infection Prevention Committee also meets on a bi-monthly basis to review HAIs, policies, and other topics that are pertinent to infection prevention.
“Current plans to further improve HAI prevention measures are in the works. We would like to include our patients and community members as we continue this fight against HAIs,” said Tweedie.
Hospital earns Exceeding Patient Expectations Award
For the tenth time, TAMC has been recognized by a national organization for excellent patient care. The hospital has again earned the prestigious Exceeding Patient Expectations Award from Avatar Solutions, which measures and compares hospital safety and patient satisfaction based on patient, employee and physician surveys.
The Exceeding Patient Expectations Award is presented to health care organizations that deliver care beyond what is expected by patients in a number of areas including quality of care and reliability.
“This award speaks volumes for the great work that happens across our organization every day. At a time of unprecedented change in the health care industry, within our system, and at TAMC itself, earning this award for the tenth time is both impressive and to the credit of the entire team who strives we deliver the best patient-centered care possible,” said TAMC President and CEO Sylvia Getman, who also serves as senior vice president of EMHS. “For those of us who work in health care, these are the honors that matter most, because they reflect the views of the people who entrust us with their lives and their health and well-being every day.”
TAMC was among five EMHS agencies to earn recognition in exceptional performance in 2013 from Avatar Solutions.
