Preventing and Reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections

Infection Prevention Toolkit Now Available

The Home Health Infection Prevention Toolkit contains resources and best practices to help reduce Acute Care Hospitalization (ACH) or Emergency Department (ED) visits related to wound, urinary tract and respiratory infections. The Toolkit was developed to meet a gap in infection prevention resources for home health agencies, but can be utilized in all care settings.

The Toolkit also contains resources for immunizations, antibiotic stewardship, patient and family education, risk assessment and surveillance, sepsis and others. Access the Toolkit today; share with your colleagues and partners.

Infection Prevention and Antibiotic Stewardship

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are a threat to patient safety and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Healthcare infection prevention has always been a focus of our prevention efforts. To help slow the global threat of antibiotic resistance, we are assisting outpatient healthcare providers and nursing homes develop or strengthen antibiotic stewardship programs.

Hospital Innovation and Improvement Networks (HIINs), including hospital associations and hospital systems, will continue to work with hospitals to help them reduce healthcare-acquired infections.

For more information on our efforts, visit the Great Plains QIN Antibiotic Stewardship page.

Improving Infection Rates in Nursing Homes

Great Plains QIN is partnering with nursing homes across the region to prepare them for future quality reporting requirements, improve infection control practices and improve resident outcomes. Participating nursing homes are using the NHSN (National Healthcare Safety Network) to track CDI (Clostridium dificile) rates as well as receiving tools, resources and education for infection prevention, control and communication.

For more information, visit the Great Plains QIN Nursing Home Care page.