“This recognition reflects the commitment our team brings to patient safety every day,” said Traci Collins, MSN, RN, president of Athens-Limestone Hospital. “Preventing infections takes constant attention, teamwork and accountability across every area of the hospital. We are proud of this achievement and even more proud of what it represents for the patients and families who trust us with their care.”
At Crestwood Medical Center, the recognition is another indication that the hospital’s continued focus on quality and patient safety is producing meaningful results.
“Quality and patient safety are priorities that touch every part of the care we provide,” said Kyle Buchanan, president of Crestwood Medical Center. “This recognition is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our physicians, nurses and entire team. While we are proud of this accomplishment, our focus remains on continuing to improve and providing the safest, highest-quality care possible for every patient.”
The MRSA achievement is part of a broader focus on reducing health care-associated infections at Crestwood. The hospital has also gone more than a year without a central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), another serious infection that can occur in patients with central venous catheters.
“These are the types of results that demonstrate the impact of making quality and patient safety an organizational priority,” said Erin Thompson, director of quality at Crestwood Medical Center. “A zero MRSA infection rate and our continued success with CLABSI prevention represent more than quality measures. They mean patients are avoiding infections and potential complications during their care.”
Thompson said maintaining strong infection prevention outcomes requires ongoing collaboration, monitoring and accountability across the hospital.
“Our teams are continually looking at our data, evaluating our processes and identifying opportunities to improve,” Thompson said. “Infection prevention is everyone’s responsibility, and our results show what can happen when our entire organization is committed to doing the right things, every time, for every patient.”
Crestwood’s progress in infection prevention is one example of the work underway across HH Health to continuously improve quality and patient safety. From clinical care and nursing practices to environmental services and support teams, employees across the Health System play an important role in creating safe environments for patients.
The recognition of Crestwood Medical Center, Athens-Limestone Hospital and Helen Keller Hospital among Alabama’s top performers in MRSA prevention demonstrates how that commitment is translating into measurable results in communities across North Alabama.
“We are making strides, and we are proud of the progress our teams have made,” Buchanan said. “Quality improvement is never finished. We will continue to hold ourselves to a high standard, look for opportunities to improve and keep patient safety at the center of everything we do.”
Read the complete article from Becker’s Hospital Review here.