Infection prevention

Southern California Hospital at Culver City (SCHCC) has reached a significant milestone for low rates of two healthcare-associated infections (HAI), hitting more than 1,000 days free of central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) and more than 750 days free of catheter-associate urinary tract infections (CAUTI).

SCHCC's dedication to detecting and preventing HAIs has led to ongoing quality improvements in its clinical practice, medical procedures, and infection prevention efforts. These include improvements to risk assessment and surveillance activities, education, environmental cleaning, lab testing, and wearing of personal protective equipment.

"Our hospital has achieved a remarkable milestone in maintaining low rates of HAIs," says Omar Ramirez, CEO. "This accomplishment reflects our exceptional dedication, expertise, and commitment to patient safety. Our collaborative efforts and pursuit of excellence have set a new standard for our hospital quality system."

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CAUTI and CLABSI are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, healthcare costs, and length of stay.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) utilizes the National Healthcare Safety Network standard infection ration (SIR) as the standard measure to track healthcare-associated infections. CMS expects an SIR rate of zero for both CLABSI and CAUTI. The average California hospital has a CLABSI SIR rate of 0.769 (0.738 nationally) and a CAUTI SIR rate of 0.710 (0.593 nationally). SCHCC has maintained the CMS expected rate of zero for more than three years for CLABSI and more than two years for CAUTI. These significant milestones demonstrate the quality of patient care at SCHCC compared to other hospitals.

"Reducing HAIs is a key priority for us," says Marie Aragon, chief nursing officer at Southern California Hospital. "From meticulous hand hygiene practices to rigorous infection control protocols, our team's attention to detail has made a significant difference in the health and well-being of our patients."

Earlier this month, SCHCC received a Four-Star Rating for Overall Hospital Quality from CMS. Only 27 percent of hospitals nationwide included in the CMS annual Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings received either four or five stars.

For related news, check out how AI tools can assist in HAI prevention here.