BWH Lauded for Infection Control Efforts
The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction this week awarded BWH with an honorable mention for the hospital’s efforts to decrease MRSA and central line-associated bloodstream infections.
“We’re thrilled to receive this recognition,” said Deborah Yokoe, MD. “We have seen great results from our work, and we look forward to a continued partnership with all hospital employees to keep reducing the spread of infectious disease.”
BWH’s Infection Control team has worked for many years with hospital leadership and staff to prevent these two health-care associated infections, making the environment safer for patients. The partnership of the Infection Control team and staff throughout the hospital has resulted in a 40 percent decrease in the overall nosocomial MRSA rate, and a 67 percent decrease in MRSA bloodstream infection rates.
Rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections also have decreased significantly after a successful pilot effort in the MICU that involved mandatory central line insertion training for all new interns, including a lecture and simulation. The initiative was expanded to involve all of the adult intensive care units at BWH.
Established in 2004, the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction is named for a Boston Globe reporter who died in 1994 as a result of a chemotherapy overdose.