The Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE), of the American Hospital Association (AHA), and Kimberly-Clark have announced the recipients of the second annual Heart of Healthcare Awards, honoring outstanding frontline environmental services technicians who make a difference for patients and residents across all care settings. The award is a component of the Heart of Healthcare campaign developed by AHE and Kimberly-Clark Professional, which recognizes and elevates the critical role that frontline environmental services technicians play in the healthcare environment.

In the fight against healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), hard surface disinfection is not enough. Dangerous pathogens can lurk on all types of surfaces in healthcare environments, including soft surfaces such as privacy curtains. Recent findings show that 92 percent of hospital privacy curtains are contaminated one week after laundering,[3] yet 37 percent of facilities report that they only launder privacy curtains when they are visibly soiled.[4] If left unattended, contaminated soft surfaces can undermine a healthcare facility’s infection control protocols and pose infection risks for patients, staff, and visitors.

By Julie Kliger, MPA, BSN

The human toll of sepsis—the number one preventable cause of mortality in hospitals—is staggering. Of the more than 750,000 severe sepsis cases each year in the United States, 215,000 patients die, making it the leading cause of death in non-cardiac intensive care units. It also accounts for a significant financial burden, equating to $16.7 billion in unnecessary healthcare expenditures.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most frequent healthcare-associated infections found in intensive-care units (ICUs). New research on the prevalence of VAP in community hospitals shows small hospitals (less than 30,000 patient-days/year) have a higher rate of VAP than their larger counterparts, despite less use of ventilators.

GOJO Industries, a leader in hand hygiene and skin health and inventors of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, is assisting Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) in measuring and improving hand hygiene compliance through its SMARTLINK Activity Monitoring System.

Medical Simulation Corporation (MSC) has releases an updated version of the SimSuite Sepsis Quality Initiative Program that aligns with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines for Management of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock 2012 Guidelines released earlier this year at the 2013 Society for Critical Care Medicine Annual Congress.

GE Healthcare and HCA’s Summerville Medical Center have collaborated to develop and deploy a data driven technology solution that tracks hand washing data as it relates to patient care through the use of small sensor tags.

Emergency medical services system (EMS) responders provide the first point of care in unique environments and are at often at high risk of exposure to biohazards and infectious diseases. Understanding the critical importance of infection prevention in the daily delivery of care is imperative.