(SPRINGFIELD, IL) – On April 5 in the Illinois State Capitol, leaders from HSHS Southern Illinois Division hospitals gathered to display their efforts to enhance and elevate patient quality in their hospitals. The HSHS Southern Illinois Division is comprised of HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Belleville; HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham; HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breese; HSHS Holy Family Hospital, Greenville; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Highland.
These five hospitals displayed information about quality improvement initiatives they had undertaken and shared with legislators how these initiatives have benefited patients, families and communities while reducing health care costs:
- Infection Prevention: St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital, Highland, all shared about their initiatives to prevent or reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), while St. Elizabeth’s Hospital displayed information about the steps they have taken to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLASBIs).
- Patient Safety: St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breese, shared information about how they have advanced patient safety by expanding their telemetry monitoring capability in their rural setting.
The HSHS Southern Illinois Division leaders were among more than 100 hospital and health system leaders from across Illinois who discussed with legislators their innovative, practical and collaborative approaches to improve care during the Illinois Health and Hospital Association’s (IHA) Quality Advocacy Showcase.
“This showcase afforded us the opportunity to demonstrate to our legislators how our HSHS Southern Illinois Division hospitals are enhancing quality and improving safety for our patients each and every day,” said Alyssa Eller, Director of Quality Improvement at HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville.
Quality Initiatives Impact
The HSHS Southern Illinois Division hospitals showcased the positive impact of their individual quality initiatives:
- HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital: The hospital initiated hospital-wide audits of CLASBIs (rounding on every patient with central lines, establishing criteria for central lines, dressing and tubing maintenance, as well as switching to peripheral access).
- HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital: To decrease (CAUTIs), the hospital adopted a nurse-driven protocol for catheter removal based on patient criteria and a urinary retention protocol to identify retention issues and provide evidence-based interventions.
- HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breese: The hospital implemented a collaborative telemetry monitoring process between the inpatient unit and emergency department for 24/7 coverage. They also developed stratification guidelines for monitor duration.
- HSHS Holy Family Hospital, Greenville: The hospital has not had a CAUTI in over 18 months due to several interventions and protocols put in place, and daily communication with providers and alternative measures.
- HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Highland: The hospital implemented the HOUDINI protocol to reduce CAUTIs. The HOUDINI protocol empowers nurses by outlining seven criteria for them to determine when to remove a catheter in the absence of a physician’s order.
These quality initiatives have positively affected patients, their families and our communities by:
- Eliminating unnecessary procedures.
- Reducing painful infections.
- Decreasing length of stay.
- Improving quality of care.
- Increasing patient satisfaction.
- Improving patient safety.
- Preventing unnecessary costs.
IHA’s Quality Advocacy Showcase, in its second year, is designed to visually demonstrate the often-overlooked and underreported work of physicians, nurses, quality improvement leaders and hospital administrators to develop solutions to improve care. IHA produced one 30-by-42-inch poster per hospital or health system project for the event.
“The Illinois Health and Hospital Association Quality Advocacy Showcase provides a timely reminder of the life-saving work Illinois hospitals do daily and the critical role state government plays in ensuring that hospitals have the resources to continue to provide high-quality care to all Illinoisans,” said IHA President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi.
The HSHS Southern Illinois Division is comprised of HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Belleville; HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham; HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breese; HSHS Holy Family Hospital, Greenville; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Highland.