September 25, 2023 by matray

LAMMICO awarded its 2022-2023 Patient Safety Award and Grant to St. Bernard Parish Hospital (SBPH) in Chalmette, La., for its work preventing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). Healthcare providers had been making strides in reducing infections associated with central lines; however, in the third quarter of 2020, the CDC reported a 53% increase in the number of CLABSI, compared to the same group of hospitals in 2019. Of all the hospital-associated infections, the CLABSI rate increased the most. The heightened CLABSI incidence is likely attributed to a lack of infection prevention activities involving central line insertion and maintenance practices.

Grant applicants completed an educational activity, “Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) Prevention,” in LAMMICO’s learning management system. This program provided an overview of strategies to help prevent CLABSIs, and the associated consequences.

By demonstrating the best improvements (in policies, procedures, protocols and/or processes) related to a reduction in CLABSI after completing this risk management and patient safety education, St. Bernard Parish Hospital was awarded a $10,000 grant for nursing development and a one-year risk manager membership to the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM).

Some of the steps taken by the team at SBPH to reduce CLABSI rates included performing a Failure Mode Effects Analysis, making an action plan (decreasing the use of central lines, ensuring proper infection prevention strategies, improving the CLABSI prevention bundle element compliance, and improving organizational infection prevention practices). LAMMICO’s education was a major component in the process. They demonstrated success in all components of their action plan. In addition, SBPH included their medical staff in the process and celebrated their success with staff in a variety of ways.

St Bernard Parish Hospital also won the LAMMICO Patient Safety Award and Grant in 2021 that focused on preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).

  St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling, La., placed second for the Patient Safety Award and Grant. A grant of $5,000 for nursing professional development was presented to this hospital in recognition of this honor. St. Charles Parish Hospital recently opened a behavioral health unit that incorporated the treatment of patients’ complex medical conditions. Many patients admitted to this unit had central lines for their medical management. Caring for these lines was a new skill for many of the behavioral health staff and a need for change in their practice was identified. They used LAMMICO’s education as a guide to incorporate the CLABSI prevention bundle and compliance. They were successful in decreasing their CLABSI rate.