And the Golden Glove goes to…HHS awards for IPs

January 12th, 2015

Too often a thankless job practiced in relative secrecy -- with only bad outcomes likely to come to public light – hospital infection prevention is finally being duly recognized. The latest evidence comes in the form of awards by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which has recognized 37 hospitals and health care facilities for their infection prevention programs.

The organizations are the first to be honored as part of a new national awards program to highlight successful and sustained efforts to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), specifically infections in critical care settings. This initial set of awards recognizes critical care professionals and health care institutions for their efforts to reduce, and eventually eliminate, ventilator-associated pneumonia and bloodstream infections associated with central intravenous lines.

HHS partnered with the Critical Care Societies Collaborative (CCSC) to develop the awards program. CCSC is a multidisciplinary organization that promotes the exchange of ideas about critical care practice and ICU patient care among leaders from medicine, nursing, pharmacy and respiratory therapy.

Ten recipients were recognized this week at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ (AACN) National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition in Chicago. The remaining 27 recipients will be recognized throughout the year at the conferences of CCSC member societies.

The initial awards, which have a certain "Academy" resonance in their wording, are for Achievements in Eliminating Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections. Kudos to these organizations, and for all the infection preventionists in them: It’s a good time to ask for a raise.

Check out the winners list at: http://1.usa.gov/mqds7g