IHI Announces More Than 60,000 Lives Already Saved Through its 100,000 Lives Campaign

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) announces that its landmark campaign to save 100,000 lives in U.S. hospitals by June 14, 2006 has already saved 60,500 lives (as of March 13) with three months still to go. More than 3,000 acute-care hospitals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have joined the Campaign, which continues to transform American health care and demonstrate historic results.

Launched in December 2004, the 100,000 Lives Campaign is the first-ever national initiative that aims to save a large and specified number of lives by a certain date. The Campaign asks participating hospitals to implement six evidence-based interventions.

In addition to saving lives, the Campaign has demonstrated remarkable achievement in patient care. Twenty hospitals enrolled in the Campaign, for instance, have had no cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) for one year or more. VAP, a lung infection and a leading killer among hospital-acquired infections, is addressed by one of the Campaigns interventions.  Hospitals are reporting comparable successes with other Campaign interventions and setting new standards for hospitals across the country.

This Campaign has generated enormous momentum and energy across our nations hospital community, and I am optimistic that we will reach our goal of saving 100,000 lives, said IHI president and CEO Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP. But 60,000 lives saved is, in itself, an extraordinary accomplishment and one that reflects a commitment and determination by participating hospitals that holds great promise for the future.

IHI will announce the total number of lives saved in the 18-month Campaign at its second annual International Summit on Redesigning Hospital Care in Atlanta on June 12, 2006.

Hospitals participating in the 100,000 Lives Campaign commit to implementing some or all of the following six quality improvement changes:

-- Activate a Rapid Response Team at the first sign that a patients condition is worsening and may lead to a more serious medical emergency.

-- Prevent patients from dying of heart attacks by delivering evidence-based care, such as appropriate administration of aspirin and beta-blockers to prevent further heart muscle damage.

-- Prevent medication errors by ensuring that accurate and continually updated lists of patients medications are reviewed and reconciled during their hospital stay, particularly at transition points.

-- Prevent patients who are receiving medicines and fluids through central lines from developing infections by following five steps, including proper hand washing and cleaning the patients skin with chlorhexidine.

-- Prevent patients undergoing surgery from developing infections by following a series of steps, including the timely administration of antibiotics.

-- Prevent patients on ventilators from developing pneumonia by following four steps, including raising the head of the patients bed between 30 and 45 degrees.

The 100,000 Lives Campaign is supported through unrestricted philanthropy from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Cardinal Health Foundation, the Colorado Trust, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Rx Foundation, Baxter International, the Blue Shield of California Foundation, and the Leeds Family Foundation. 

Source: IHI