Centennial Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, both in Nashville, Tenn., had bloodstream infection rates much higher than the national standard, according to a news report by The Tennessean.
According to data released by the Tennessee Department of Health, the hospitals' rates for bloodstream infections were double what they should have been in 2009. In reaction to the high numbers, both hospitals are taking corrective action to drive those rates down and have already reduced infections by more than half, according to the news report.
Vanderbilt has refocused its infection prevention efforts with a transparency-focused approach by logging the number of days since a patient has acquired an infection before publicly publishing the number at its hospitals. Similarly, Centennial has launched an "Aim for Zero" campaign.
The state Department of Health's data showed Tennessee hospitals' standardized infection ratio was 17 percent higher than the national standard, according to the news report.
Read the news report about bloodstream infections in Tennessee.
Read other coverage about hospital quality:
- Five Nevada Hospital Infection Bills Likely to Move Forward
- Alcohol Sanitizer With Viacydin Effective and Safe in Hand Hygiene Protocol
- Previous Health Facility Contact a Risk Factor for C. Diff Infection
According to data released by the Tennessee Department of Health, the hospitals' rates for bloodstream infections were double what they should have been in 2009. In reaction to the high numbers, both hospitals are taking corrective action to drive those rates down and have already reduced infections by more than half, according to the news report.
Vanderbilt has refocused its infection prevention efforts with a transparency-focused approach by logging the number of days since a patient has acquired an infection before publicly publishing the number at its hospitals. Similarly, Centennial has launched an "Aim for Zero" campaign.
The state Department of Health's data showed Tennessee hospitals' standardized infection ratio was 17 percent higher than the national standard, according to the news report.
Read the news report about bloodstream infections in Tennessee.
Read other coverage about hospital quality:
- Five Nevada Hospital Infection Bills Likely to Move Forward
- Alcohol Sanitizer With Viacydin Effective and Safe in Hand Hygiene Protocol
- Previous Health Facility Contact a Risk Factor for C. Diff Infection