Rady Demonstrates Improved Patient Outcomes, Culture Shift and Financial Savings with Winning Project
May 15, 2011
Posted by chcablogadmin in : Cost Reduction, Innovation, Quality
Your dedicated staff and their participation in RACE for Results are great examples of how we drive each other to excellence every day. We’d like to congratulate not only the top awardees listed here, but the 10 finalists and all 30 hospitals who submitted entries in the RACE for Results program this year. They are truly “the best children’s hospitals with the brightest ideas.” We’ll profile several of these proven improvements for you in upcoming blog issues. One of these improvement programs might be just what your hospital is looking for. — JR
CHCA’s RACE for Results award recognizes exceptional clinical and business improvements in children’s hospitals. This year, Owner Hospitals submitted 30 entries in important areas such as bloodstream infections, waste reduction, electronic medical records, throughput and rapid response teams. Selected by hospital peers and international health care experts, the winners will be featured in educational webcasts and publications for all Owner Hospitals to access for their own improvement work. CHCA honors the winning hospitals May 19 in St. Petersburg, FL.
Rady Children’s Reduces Surgical Site Infections
Rady Children’s Hospital (San Diego, CA) is the 2011 RACE for Results award winner. After launching an aggressive evidence-based response to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs), the Rady team achieved an 80 percent decrease in costly orthopedic spine SSIs in just one year while maintaining surgical volume. They identified 10 patient safety interventions that are now part of surgical procedures at the hospital.
High Cost of Treating SSIs
National statistics estimate surgical site infections affect 50,000 patients each year, leading to additional procedures and longer hospital stays. In October 2008, CMS stopped reimbursing hospitals for the extra care required to treat all surgical site infections. Estimates of increased costs of SSIs are $153,871 in charges per affected patient with an average length of stay of 16.1 days, which calculates to about $10,000 in charges per day. Applying that amount to the12 orthopedic spine program patients identified in 2008 and 2009 at Rady Children’s shows estimated charges of $1,538,710 for 10 SSIs in 2008 and $307,742 for the two in 2009.
The 12 SSI patients required a total of 30 additional surgical procedures, 15 additional readmissions, and numerous office visits. The cost of an orthopedic spine SSI not only poses a great risk to the patient’s outcome and length of stay, but also increases hospital expenses.
Reducing SSIs at Rady
Impressively, in 2010, the volume of spine surgeries increased without additional infections. The 2010 monthly volume rose 33% (January-October) to an average of 17.7 surgeries a month from the 2009 average of 13.3 surgeries a month.
Engaged, informed multidisciplinary health care providers used evidence-based knowledge to promote crucial change. These interventions not only became part of policy at Rady Children’s, but led to an increased culture of safety within surgical services.
2011 Winner:
Rady Children’s Hospital (San Diego, CA)
“An Evidence-Based Response to a Cluster of Surgical Site Infections Involving Pediatric Orthopedic Spine Patients”
Honorable Mention – Clinical Care Projects Category:
Cook Children’s Health Care System (Fort Worth, TX)
“Bundled Interventions and Pareto Principle Result in a Culture Change and Reduce Healthcare Associated Infection in the NICU”
Honorable Mention – Clinical Care Projects Category:
Phoenix Children’s Hospital (Phoenix, AZ)
“Children’s Asthma Care Collaborative”
Honorable Mention – Waste Reduction Category:
Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio)
“Neonatal Care Collaborative to Decrease Length of Stay”
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