Wisconsin hospitals saved more than $45.6 million during the past two-plus years through an enhanced quality initiative.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association released a report on the project. Hospitals focused on ramping up their quality efforts in several areas: readmissions, central line-associated blood stream infections, surgical site infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, adverse drug events and early elective deliveries, among others.
Readmissions reductions led to some of the largest savings. Between January 2012 and September 2013, Wisconsin hospitals cumulatively prevented 3,556 readmissions, which resulted in more than $34 million in savings. The average readmission costs about $9,600.
The reduction of CLABSIs, SSIs and CAUTIs saved $10.9 million since 2008, according to the report.
"When improvement work reduces hospital-associated infections and readmissions, it translates into cost savings, and that is a value for patients, employers and insurers," WHA President Steve Brenton said in a news release.
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