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NUHEALTH/NUMC HONORED AS 2012 RECIPIENT OF NAPH GAGE SAFETY NET AWARD FOR REDUCING CENTRAL LINE INFECTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2012

PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055


NUHEALTH/NUMC HONORED AS 2012 RECIPIENT OF NAPH GAGE SAFETY NET AWARD FOR REDUCING CENTRAL LINE INFECTIONS

Excellence in promoting patient safety and improving quality through initiative to reduce or eliminate central line associated blood stream infections


EAST MEADOW, NY…Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System, proudly announced that the Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) was honored as a 2012 recipient of the Gage Safety Net Award for Improving Quality and Patient Safety by the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH), at the Annual Conference in San Francisco, California on June 21, 2012. The award is in recognition of NuHealth’s innovative work to eliminate central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI)

“Congratulations to all the members of NUMC clinical team who worked so diligently to make such dramatic improvements in how we care for our patients, especially, Dr. Steven Walerstein, CMO, Kathy Skarka, CNO, Maureen Shannon, VP of Quality Management and John Finnerty, Quality Coordinator. NUMC is receiving this national award for its excellence in promoting and improving patient safety through its initiative to reduce or eliminate central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI),” stated Gianelli. “NUMC is a special hospital, one where, with each passing month, our quality data matches or excels some of the best hospitals around, a credit to our staff.”

The award is named after NAPH founder and safety net advocate Larry S. Gage to recognize outstanding work of NAPH members, spread innovative programs to other NAPH safety net organizations and for the learning necessary for NAPH members to successfully implement improvements and change projects.
 

“NuHealth’s work to eliminate CLABSIs has greatly improved the quality of care patients receive and the safety of the environment in which they receive it,” said NAPH President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH. “NuHealth offers a clear example of innovation by the safety net and the value NAPH members add to the broader health care system.”

Dr. Walerstein also offered his congratulations to the multidisciplinary team responsible for the prestigious NAPH honor: “This is a well-deserved award, a testament to NuHealth’s commitment to improving patient safety and quality. NUMC is being recognized as an industry model for reducing CLABSI and for activities that have improved the quality of care delivered and/or reduced or eliminated harmful events to patients.’

Ms. Shannon added: “Our multidisciplinary team deserves recognition for their outstanding efforts in our successful initiative. Nursing took responsibility for both the initiative and the results demonstrate their diligence in reducing CLABSI. Under the department of quality management, our team was charged with development, implementation and monitoring of the initiative to successfully transform the process of care to reduce CLABSI.”

CLABSIs are among the most serious hospital-acquired infections. To eliminate them, NuHealth improved its procedures for inserting and maintaining central lines and monitoring patient risks. Using real-time feedback and evidence-based care, NuHealth reduced CLABSIs by 74% in less than a year. The initiative’s main components consist of tracking tools to provide better accountability at the bedside during the insertion, maintenance and surveillance while enhancing communications between nursing and physicians.


ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life.  Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community.  By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.

For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.

About the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH)
NAPH represents the nation’s safety net hospitals and health systems, which provide high volumes of care to low-income individuals. These facilities offer high-quality health services for all patients, including the uninsured and underinsured, regardless of ability to pay. In addition to helping ensure access to health care for all Americans, safety net hospitals provide many essential communitywide services, such as primary care, trauma care, and neonatal intensive care. Safety net hospitals also train many of America’s doctors, nurses, and other health care providers. Since its inception in 1980, NAPH has cultivated a strong presence on Capitol Hill, with the executive branch, and in many state capitols. NAPH advocates on behalf of its members on such issues as Medicaid, Medicare, and access to health care services for vulnerable populations. For more information, visit our website at http://www.naph.org/.