Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Zealot for Zero

Zero is an important number at Broward Health North. The 409-bed community hospital in Deerfield Beach, Fla., is “chasing zero.” That’s zero for 0 infections and 0 falls to keep patients safe. According to CEO Pauline Grant, “Keeping our patients safe was one of the motivations for joining the HEN [Hospital Engagement Network]….We want to reduce our overall infection rate.” To reduce central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI), the hospital focused on three things: 1) paying attention to the infection rate, 2) consistently implementing initiatives using the CLABSI prevention bundle and 3) ensuring supplies needed to comply with the bundle are present in patient rooms and convenient to staff. Each day, hospital nurses assess the central lines and confer with physicians—a collaborative approach that ensures lines are removed as soon as possible. Denise Mansfield, regional manager, quality, epidemiology and patient safety, observes, “Being part of the HEN gives us that network, education and information to be a true zealot for zero.” Working to reduce CLABSI by 40% by the end of 2013, BHN reached that goal, hospitalwide, six months ago, Mansfield reports. The hospital’s ICU CLABSI rate has been zero for 10 months straight.

For more information, contact Mansfield at dmansfield@browardhealth.org or watch a video  about Broward North’s “chasing zero” journey. Visit the AHA/HRET HEN website at www.hret-hen.org.

HPOE.org features webinars, guides and case studies from AHA resources and other groups.