by Keri McDermott | Nov 10, 2021 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Care Coordination, Covid-19, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Immunizations, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Opioids, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Hats, mittens, cough drops and Kleenex become common shopping list items as the winter season approaches. Protection against the cold and supplies to fight a cold seem to be connected. Infections are a growing health concern and the Great Plains Quality Innovation...
by Keri McDermott | Nov 5, 2021 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a germ that causes diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. The CDC estimates C. diff impacts almost half a million people in the United States each year and an estimated 29,300 deaths. C. diff is a bacteria spread by microscopic...
by Keri McDermott | Sep 21, 2021 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Home Health, Hospitals, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious disease will require ongoing infection control training and education. Project Firstline (PFL) is a national infection control and prevention training initiative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
by Keri McDermott | Sep 1, 2021 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Health Equity, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
September is Sepsis Awareness Month In a typical year, at least 1.7 million adults in America develop sepsis, nearly 270,000 Americans die as a result of sepsis, and 1 in 3 patients who dies in a hospital has sepsis. Sepsis, or the infection causing sepsis, starts...
by Keri McDermott | Jul 13, 2021 | Featured, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Every day, patients get infections in health care facilities while they are being treated for something else. These infections can have devastating emotional, financial and medical effects. Worst of all, they can be deadly. The CDC offers resources and tips that can...
by Keri McDermott | Jun 23, 2021 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Before initiating use of antibiotics, it is important to pause and review all relevant clinical and laboratory data and then weigh the potential benefit versus harm of initiating antibiotic therapy. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) Four...
by Keri McDermott | Jun 17, 2021 | Featured, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Hospitals, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Project Firstline recently announced the launch of two new Continuing Education (CE) courses on Infection Control, with additional courses scheduled for release throughout the summer. Course: Injection Safety: Learn how to safely use a multi-dose vial This educational...
by Keri McDermott | Jun 16, 2021 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Hospitals, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Uncategorized
Hand washing and mask wearing are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to infection prevention practices. While COVID-19 expanded awareness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Project Firstline (PFL) is working to ensure every health care...
by Keri McDermott | Feb 1, 2021 | Covid-19, Featured, Healthcare-Associated Infections
The focus on combating coronavirus during the pandemic has made it easier for other healthcare associated infections (HAIs) to spread. Many of the interventions to prevent, test and monitor for HAI were deprioritized to have additional resources available to address...
by Keri McDermott | Oct 19, 2020 | Featured, Healthcare-Associated Infections
For this year’s International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), October 18-24, the goal is to shine a spotlight on the Infection Preventionist’s (IP’s) role in protecting frontline healthcare workers and patients from COVID-19. To honor and thank IPs for their...
