Gears drawn on a chalkboard Sepsis is the number one cause for hospital admissions and readmissions in the Great Plains QIN region. However, a knowledge gap exists in understanding how immunizations and proper antibiotic use can impact sepsis. To help bridge that gap, Great Plains QIN created and launched the Connect the Dots Campaign. The Campaign focuses on 3 P’s – PROTECTING one’s health, PRESERVING antibiotic effectiveness and PREVENTING infections leading to sepsis through immunizations, health hygiene and responsible antibiotic use. The Campaign goal is to increase the individual’s role in their healthcare journey and achieve better health outcomes through increased knowledge of the connection between sepsis, immunizations and antibiotics. Access Connect the Dots: Do Your Part resources on our Web site “Our team has worked hard these past few months to identify resources and messages to help individuals understand the impact immunizations and proper antibiotic use can have on infection prevention and sepsis. The resources we developed can be printed and shared with colleagues, community partners and patients. Help us spread the word on the importance of proper antibiotic use, immunizations and reducing infections. We will be hosting events, town hall meetings and educational sessions over the next few months. We look forward to sharing more details and additional activity as the Campaign unfolds,” stated Keri McDermott, Great Plains QIN Communications Director. A thumbnail of a few of the resources are included below. Click on each for a full view of each handout or visit our Web site to access the complete toolkit.

Immunization Handout

Sepsis Handout

Antibiotic Stewardship Handout

For more information on Great Plains QIN activity, resources and upcoming events, visit our Web site; access our immunization, sepsis and antibiotic stewardship pages of our site. If you are not already a Learning and Action Network member, be sure to take a minute to sign up today. Membership is free and provides great opportunities for networking and learning.