Mercy Health-Springfield's key to reducing infections

As president of Mercy Health-Springfield (Ohio), Adam Groshans is prioritizing employee retention and quality and access improvements in 2025, building on momentum from the organization's 2024 achievements.

Composed of two acute care hospitals across two counties, Mercy Health-Springfield reduced catheter-associated urinary tract infections and central line-associated bloodstream infections by 38% and 36%, respectively. Sepsis bundle compliance also improved by 9%, which is a key metric due to the condition's link to hospital admissions and readmissions in the region. 

Patient falls decreased by 23% in 2024, supported by the Springfield market's fall prevention committee. Patient experience improved by more than 10% across the entire market, including emergency departments.

"We were able to achieve much of this success because we've had outstanding recruitment and retention of providers and our clinical staff, nursing and care teams," Mr. Groshans told Becker's. "When you're able to retain these very talented clinical teams year over year, the quality improvements tend to follow."

Retention rates across the market improved by more than 2% in 2024. Mr. Groshans credited the system's focus on best clinical practices, not only from within the Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health but also from external best practices.

Key strategies for reducing CAUTI and CLABSI included minimizing the use of Foley catheters and central lines when appropriate clinical alternatives were available, he added.

Continuing success in 2025

Mercy Health-Springfield's multi-year strategies are shaped by several factors, including its community health needs assessment, which identified high-priority areas such as cardiac care, oncology and neurosciences. 

To address these, Mercy Health-Springfield will open a new oncology infusion center in Urbana (Ohio) Hospital in January, expanding access to care. 

The organization has also invested more than $10 million in neurosciences in recent years. It can now receive stroke patients at any of its emergency departments and provide both medical and surgical interventions within the interventional neurology suite at Mercy Health-Springfield Regional Medical Center, improving patient outcomes.

"This will continue to be a major initiative and an opportunity for partnership with our EMS partners and first responders," Mr. Groshans said. "We're continuing to build out surgical capabilities and call teams that will allow us to advance the acuity of services that we offer in that space."

To further support employee retention and recruitment, Mercy Health-Springfield has introduced a housing down payment assistance program.

"We're already seeing folks taking advantage of it, and so there's a lot of excitement and momentum," Mr. Groshans said. "I'm hopeful that this is something that we'll be able to see replicated in other points of our ministry."

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