Press Release

For Immediate Release | October 15, 2009

Contact: Tiffany Himmelreich
(office) 614-221-7614
(after hours) 614-205-6635
e-mail: tiffanyh@ohanet.org  

(COLUMBUS, OH) – Ohio hospitals are on the cusp of preventing hospital-acquired infections, a major cause of harm to patients across the nation. More than 140 Ohio hospital leaders and quality clinicians, representing 56 hospitals, participated in a conference Monday to implement a national initiative to reduce central-line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) under the leadership of the Ohio Hospital Association and the Ohio Patient Safety Institute.

At the kick-off of Ohio On The CUSP: Stop BSI, participants engaged in discussion with national experts from the Johns Hopkins University and the American Hospital Association on best practices in reducing and preventing central-line infections and improving patient safety. A central line is a catheter that ends in large vessels going into the heart so clinicians can more closely monitor patients and administer medication.

Ohio is one of 10 states selected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that will partake in a two-year project to implement and test a Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program (CUSP), developed by Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, and others at the Johns Hopkins University. Hospital participation is voluntary.

Ohio On The CUSP: Stop BSI aims to:

• replicate the success of the Michigan Keystone/Johns Hopkins project to reduce the mean CLABSI rate within Ohio to less than one per 1,000 catheter days in participating hospitals by implementing the CUSP
• improve safety culture by 50 percent in participating hospitals
• develop a statewide model for implementing and disseminating patient safety initiatives throughout the state

“Given its strong track record in quality and patient safety, we felt privileged when the Ohio Hospital Association joined this AHRQ-funded initiative,” said John R. Combes, MD, president and COO of the Center for Healthcare Governance of the American Hospital Association, who presented at the conference. “We are doubly delighted after witnessing the energy and leadership of clinicians and patient safety directors from so many hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations committed to making care safer in Ohio hospitals.”

A representative from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office also spoke at the meeting. Brown worked on behalf of the Ohio Patient Safety Institute to secure federal funding for this initiative.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 250,000 central-line associated blood stream infections occur in hospitals each year at an estimated cost of $25,000 per episode.

OHA and its members have been national leaders in best practices and pioneering efforts for more than 15 years in improving outcomes of care and making hospitals safer.

“It was an honor to be with our colleagues in Ohio as they demonstrated their well deserved reputation for quality and safety leadership,” said Pronovost.

About OPSI
The Ohio Patient Safety Institute (OPSI) is an organization dedicated to improving patient safety in Ohio. The Institute is a subsidiary of the Ohio Health Council, which was founded by the Ohio Hospital Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, and the Ohio Osteopathic Association. Through this collaboration and common effort, OPSI has the ability to work with over 180 hospitals and 9,000 physicians in Ohio to improve patient safety for all Ohioans. Visit OPSI at www.ohiopatientsafety.org.

About OHA
The Ohio Hospital Association was established in 1915 and currently represents 175 hospitals and 40 health systems throughout Ohio. OHA is a membership-driven organization that provides proactive leadership to create an environment in which Ohio hospitals are successful in serving their communities. Visit OHA’s Web site at www.ohanet.org. Follow OHA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OhioHospitals.

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