Polk Medical Center wins Statewide Patient Safety Award for Prevention of Health Care Associated Infections

ATLANTA (January 15, 2008) - At its annual Patient Safety Summit last week, the Georgia Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) presented its prestigious Patient Quality and Safety Award to Polk Medical Center in Cedartown for its project aimed at preventing health care acquired infections. The medical center's project titled, "Improving Healthcare Associated Infections: Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus" won first place in the health systems category as well as a second place Josh Nahum Special Achievement Award for Infection Prevention and Control. These annual awards recognize Georgia health care organizations for achievement in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and medical outcomes.

Traditionally, the prevention of health care-acquired infections has been managed by individual facilities through implementation of the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The director of the executive team of HCA, Polk's parent organization, armed with a vision to become the "cleanest and safest hospitals in the world," worked with a senior organizational workgroup to develop goals for achievement. One goal was aggressive infection control measures to reduce occurrences of Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA). Each individual facility in the health system was responsible for implementing its own objectives and processes.

Through interdisciplinary task forces, the Polk team put the initiative into action. Objectives included active surveillance screening to determine colonized patients (those with MRSA) in those admitted to critical care, those transferred from other health care facilities, those undergoing select cardiac, joint, open spine or hemodialysis and those with history. Part of the initiative was to identify MRSA in patients and quickly take action to protect other patients. Electronic communication helped alert infection control staff areas where intervention was needed.

Results showed prompt action taken for patients identified as colonized, thus decreasing the risk of MRSA transmission to other patients. The electronic communication ensured timely isolation precautions for colonized patients. Overall, a significant reduction in the rate of health care-acquired infections caused by MRSA is anticipated.

"Preventing the spread of infections within hospitals is one of the most important challenges that the American hospital community faces today," said Georgia Hospital Association President Joseph Parker. "We applaud Polk Medical Center for its leadership in this area and its relentless dedication to providing the best and safest care possible for its patients."

About PHA
The Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) was established in January 2000 to improve patient care and patient safety in hospitals and other healthcare facilities and create healthy communities.

About GHA
Established in 1929, GHA is the state's largest trade organization of hospitals and health systems providing education, research and risk management services to its more than 170 hospital and health system members. Additionally, it represents and advocates health policy issues benefiting Georgia's citizens before the state legislature and U.S. Congress as well as before regulatory bodies.