NUMC’S OUTCOMES BETTER THAN U.S. NATIONAL BENCHMARK AVERAGE FOR CENTRAL LINE ASSOCIATED BLOOD STREAM INFECTIONS, AS REPORTED ON THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HOSPITAL COMPARE WEBSITE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2012
PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055
NUMC’S OUTCOMES BETTER THAN U.S. NATIONAL BENCHMARK AVERAGE FOR CENTRAL LINE ASSOCIATED BLOOD STREAM INFECTIONS, AS REPORTED ON THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HOSPITAL COMPARE WEBSITE
East Meadow, NY……As central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) are among the most serious acquired infections, Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System, proudly announced that for the first time in a patient safety measure, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Hospital Compare website reports that the Nassau University Medical Center’s CLABSI data is better than the United States’ national average benchmark.
“This is terrific news and a testament to our staff’s dedication to patient safety and quality through its initiative to reduce or eliminate central line associated blood stream infections. Performing better than the national average benchmark can be attributed to a great team effort, interdisciplinary communications and a commitment to quality and safety,” stated Gianelli. “This Hospital Compare data means that NUMC has much fewer CLABSI than hospitals of similar type and size both in the state and nationally.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, on its Hospital Compare website, has updated NUMC’s performance for CLABSI as compared to the national benchmark of 1, with NUMC having a rate of 0.44, less than half the U.S. national benchmark.
Steven J. Walerstein, MD, FACP, executive vice president for medical affairs and medical director for the NuHealth System, offered his congratulations to the multidisciplinary team responsible for this prestigious data ranking on the Hospital Compare website: “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.”
NuHealth’s vice president of quality management, Maureen P. Shannon, added: “Our staff deserves recognition for their outstanding efforts in our successful initiative, with our multidisciplinary team charged with development, implementation and monitoring of the initiative to transform the process of care to reduce CLABSI.”
Patient safety measures determine how well a hospital prevents infections, medical errors and other complications. It matters because patients have a lower risk of experiencing a medical error at hospitals with high patient safety ratings. The Hospital Compare website is an informational tool established to help consumers compare the quality of care that hospitals provide. It offers a list of participating U.S. hospitals which include demographics (location, hospital type) and quality of care measures. Consumers can utilize this tool to help make informed decisions about where to receive their health care. CLABSI are among the most serious hospital acquired infections. When not inserted correctly or kept clean, central lines can become an easy way for germs to enter the body and cause serious infections in the blood stream. To eliminate these infections, NUMC’s team improved its procedures for inserting and maintaining central lines and monitoring risks. With the development of a CLABSI initiative consisting of tracking tools to provide better accountability at the bedside during insertion, maintenance and surveillance of the line, NUMC enhanced its communication between nurses 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.