Joint Commission Resources, Inc. today released the September 2015 issue of the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety featuring the article, “Clinical Communities at Johns Hopkins Medicine: An Emerging Approach to Quality Improvement,” by Lois J. Gould, MS, PMP, Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, and colleagues. The article discusses the role of clinical communities as an emerging strategy to connect frontline providers to improve patient safety, quality of care and value across a health system.
In 2011, the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, Baltimore, Maryland, established clinical communities from six inpatient hospitals within the Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS). Fourteen communities were created, focusing on either a clinical area, patient population, group, process, safety-related issue or other healthcare issue. Each community included representation from all of the participating hospitals.
Before a hospital joins a clinical community, its “executive leadership needs to understand that patient safety and quality improvement (QI) progress at the speed of trust and begin with clinicians and staff closest to patients,” noted the authors. Clinicians and staff know where problems lie, as well as which interventions are likely to improve care, reduce variation in practice and deliver value to the organization. At JHHS, the clinical communities engaged clinicians from across the health system to participate in QI and shared learning with peers through team-building activities and facilitated discussions. After a community was established, patients and families were invited to provide their own personal perspectives and experiences.
The authors identified three key elements for a clinical community’s success:
- Engage physician champions and seek multidisciplinary membership to ensure that all services with a vested interest are represented.
- Assign an administrator with project management skills and dedicated time to organize meetings and support the work.
- Ensure that executive leadership provides sufficient resources for the infrastructure to support the communities.
Source: Joint Commission Resources, Inc.
A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings
July 9th 2025Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.
Broadening the Path: Diverse Educational Routes Into Infection Prevention Careers
July 4th 2025Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.
How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels
July 3rd 2025Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.