CDC - Blogs - Safe Healthcare – Regional Projects Spur Creative Strategies for HAI Prevention Across US

Regional Projects Spur Creative Strategies for HAI Prevention Across US
Categories: Healthcare-associated infections

February 15th, 2011 2:01 pm ET -

HHS Region Map
Author – Rani Jeeva
Team Leader for Healthcare-Associated Infections
HHS Office of Healthcare Quality

HAI elimination is a top priority for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The HHS Steering Committee for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections was established in July 2008 with the charge to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent and reduce HAIs. The result was the Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections, which outlines national goals for prevention and key actions for achieving them.

HAI prevention efforts have grown at the state level as well. State HAI Coordinators now work in 49 states, and all states have submitted HAI prevention plans. To further efforts at the regional level, in 2010, six Office of Healthcare Quality-funded HAI Regional Programs responded to the gaps identified in state plans.

These projects link state, regional and national-level healthcare providers, consumers, stakeholder organizations and federal agencies in HAI prevention. They also used information and data from the national and state HAI plans, the CDC review of state plans, the expertise of HAI state advisory councils, and identified activities that could be implemented to address the HAI state and regional gaps. A second round of projects will be funded this spring.

To give just a sample of the projects funded in 2010-11 cycle now underway:

1.Region 1 (New England area) is addressing HAI data collection and reporting in dialysis facilities through generating partnerships between state health departments, hospitals and non-acute care settings, and leveraging these partnerships to assess training needs and identifying training resources to address these needs. This is a pilot surveillance project that will determine the opportunities and barriers presented by enrollment in, reporting to, and utility of the NHSN system.
2.Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico) has a pilot project underway that is developing educational outreach in HAIs for ambulatory surgery centers to meet the needs of the diverse population of the region, including materials aimed at Spanish-speaking populations, urban and rural communities, and a wide range of socio-economic levels.
3.Region 6 (Southwest) is in the process of conducting formative research on the effect of public reporting on consumer decision making, and the elements that go into creating a consumer-friendly website.
HHS hopes that these projects will serve as HAI prevention models for other states and regions throughout the country. The most important outcome we can have is to improve patient safety and quality of care. Ultimately, it’s about saving lives.

In the next blog entry, one of our partners, Zachary Taylor, will discuss HHS Region VIII’s state-level training on data surveillance.

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CDC - Blogs - Safe Healthcare – Regional Projects Spur Creative Strategies for HAI Prevention Across US