An Ohio initiative to reduce healthcare-associated infections has helped save nearly $13 million, reports Healthcare Finance News. Launched in early 2009, the Solutions for Patient Safety Initiative has also reduced patient hospital days by 900 and prevented 3,600 adverse drug events and infections in children.
The initiative was funded with $1.5 million from the Cardinal health Foundation, and is being operated in partnership with the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, the Central Ohio Hospital Council and more than two-dozen hospitals statewide.
The participating hospitals focused on reducing catheter-associated infections and MRSA infections. The childrens' hospitals also focused on reducing infections for cardiac, orthopedic and neurosurgery procedures, as well as reducing medication errors.
The hospitals experienced an overall 11 percent reduction in all MRSA infections (bloodstream or not), a 42 percent reduction in bloodstream-related MRSA infections and a 37 percent reduction in cathether-associated infections.
"The impressive results of the initiative prove that true collaboration among healthcare leaders and clinicians can create meaningful transformation in patient care," said Cardinal CEO George S. Barrett.
For more:
- read the Healthcare Finance News article
- visit the initiative website