From the July 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Following these steps can refocus everyone on what is most important:
• Appoint a top-level administrator to shepherd the project.
• Explain why health care facility personnel need to follow government-regulated guidelines.
• Ask each department for HAI and quality improvement ideas from their employees.
• Train outside vendors on what HAIs are and how to avoid causing them.
• Share ideas between departments and vote on the top three ideas to get started. Too often, administrators look to department directors for solutions when employees are the ones with the answers.
For example, at one hospital, my team repurposed the security staff with infection prevention education. Once the security staff understood how HAIs occur and why it is important to their own employment, the newly educated security officers roamed the facility with additional authority. Armed with knowledge and increased awareness, the guards can stop contractors who are not following infection prevention procedures, such as dust reduction protocols, and report dirty areas to the environmental services staff. The officers felt more important. They were given more authority for the well-being of the patient and have a voice in operations. Not only did attitudes improve but quality also bumped up.
One facility manager told me that every morning he visits the maternity ward to look through the viewing window at all the newborns. This gives him purpose for his day since he knows the work his team performs can provide a quality environment for everyone, including the babies, in his hospital. The Cleveland Clinic developed an Empathy series of videos that aid in educating staff on looking at the big picture and not just their own personal issues. Explaining that others are counting on them can be enough to change the attitude and performance of many on your team.
For more information on the details behind these five steps and how you can get your team and everyone else that enters your facilities working toward reducing costly HAIs and improving quality, contact Thom Wellington at 314-575-1281.Back to HCB News
