Boosting Infection Prevention: A Case Study on AdventHealth Celebration Hospital

In a commendable move, AdventHealth Celebration hospital has significantly escalated its infection prevention and control (IPC) efforts by augmenting its IPC team – marking a leap from the earlier 2.0 to the present 4.8 full-time equivalents. Host infections, particularly healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) such as central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), pose a formidable challenge to hospitals, making robust IPC strategies paramount. 

The urgency is escalated by the punitive approach of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) towards high infection rates – enforcing penalties through the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program. For instance, in the year 2021, approximately 800 healthcare institutions faced financial repercussions in the form of penalties, resulting in a revenue loss of approximately $254 million. 

The decision to amplify the IPC staff at AdventHealth Celebration, according to Alric Simmonds, MD, vice president and chief medical officer (CMO) of AdventHealth Celebration and chief health equity officer for AdventHealth, has yielded multitude of benefits. The IPC staff, by virtue of its augmented size, has been able to establish a robust presence in critical areas of healthcare delivery like the operating rooms, inpatient floors, and the Intensive Care Units (ICUs). 

Moreover, the enlarged IPC team has not only managed to forge stronger ties with physicians but has also been successful in obtaining a comprehensive understanding of infection prevention challenges and offering education on the subject’s significance. The escalated IPC measures have led to a decline in all hospital-acquired infections to an extent that they have remained below national benchmarks ever since the augment of the IPC staff. Simmond hailed the achievement stating that the hospital experienced an eight-month stretch with zero incidents of CAUTI or CLABSI. He further highlighted a strong business perspective for a robust IPC staff as it aids in optimizing patient outcomes, managing penalties from CMS related to infections, preventing potential depreciation of CMS’s five-star rating for hospitals, and avoiding any negative impact on the Leapfrog patient safety score. 

He also accentuated the ‘material impact’ of hospital-acquired infections which include the additional burden of care like antibiotics and wound care, thereby driving cost of healthcare. To enhance their performance, AdventHealth Celebration’s IPC team has embarked on initiatives like a CAUTI Bootcamp aiming to impart training regarding the genesis of a CAUTI and the necessity of timely catheter removal. To foster a culture of safety and hygiene and to proactively mitigate infection concerns, the IPC staff has been integrated with the hospital’s leadership team, the Patient Safety and Quality Committee among others. 

The impactful measures have contributed positively towards clinical outcomes at the hospital. The medical facility’s commitment towards enhancing its IPC approach, as a central cog in its healthcare delivery mechanism, has set an example for other healthcare institutions.

Source: https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/cmo/adventhealth-hospital-makes-impact-doubling-infection-prevention-staff