Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Quality Surgical Care

More than 64 million surgeries are performed annually in the United States. Preventing surgical site infections is one of 10 focus areas of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Partnership for Patients  initiative. On its “pathway to zero surgical site infections,” Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas, Ore., created a robust plan, adopted or adapted best practices and improved its culture of safety. At the 329-bed hospital, a multidisciplinary team created and adapted a pathway and bundle suitable for its surgical units; a separate team focused on improving culture. Standardized procedures and processes were established for antibiotic timing, appropriate surgical prep and hair removal, hand hygiene, communication—briefings, debriefings, time-outs—OR attire and use of chlorhexidine gluconate wipes. Teams collected data for each intervention, charted observations and audits of the processes, communicated findings and modified procedures as needed. From 2006 through 2012, KSMC reduced SSIs by 45%. Dana Trocino, RN, CIC, regional infection prevention manager, emphasizes engaging the team, focusing on the patient, modeling safety procedures and empowering team members to speak up as key.
For more information, contact Trocino at dana.l.trocino@kp.org.