Four Rochester, N.Y., hospitals have formed a C. difficile prevention collaborative, according to an article on the Wall Street Journal website. Six nursing homes that share patients with the hospitals formed a separate alliance.
In the 12 months ended in September 2015, rates of C. difficile infections fell 36% from 2011 levels across the hospitals.
The collaborative initially focused on cleaning. The hospitals taught staff to scrub long and hard with bleach wipes in hospital rooms. “Just like if you’re washing a plate, you have to apply pressure to get food off,” said Jeanna Hibbert, who cleans rooms at Strong Memorial Hospital, one of the four participating hospitals.
They also introduced inspections of cleaned rooms, using a tool that checks for even small amounts of contamination.
Extreme Weather: The Maintenance-Resilience Link
Encompass Health Lower Providence Opens in Pennsylvania
Intermountain Health Acquires Fairbourne Building for Healthcare Hub and Medical Campus Conversion
Cooling Towers at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln Test Positive for Legionella
Prefabricated Wall Panels Accelerate UCF Lake Nona Medical Center Construction