New Medicare financial incentives have many hospitals scrambling to find solutions to common problems such as surgical site infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers and falls.  

The event, Hospital-Acquired Conditions: Solutions to Achieving Clinical and Financial Success, is designed to help healthcare organizations balance quality of care issues with the payment implications of these new federal rules. The conference, to be held May 5-6 in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., is presented by Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a non-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission.

The conference will feature methods to analyze baseline financial and clinical risks, and identify metrics to monitor improvement strategies. The program will also include ideas for engaging physicians in organizational risk reduction strategies, as well as presentations from organizations that have successfully reduced infection rates, pressure ulcer prevalence, and other hospital-acquired injuries.

Among the distinguished faculty, Donald Wright, MD, MPH, principal deputy assistant for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will discuss the agency’s efforts to reduce HAIs. D. Marcus Montgomery, Sr., JD, RN, assistant vice president and chief patient safety officer at University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospitals and Clinics, will address strategies for sustainability.

The cost of the conference is $795. To register, call JCR Customer Service at 1-877-223-6866. Additional details and a conference agenda also are available online at 

http://www.jcrinc.com/Conferences-and-Seminars

Hand Hygiene

 hand hygiene page examines the practice of hand hygiene, from the proper methods to adherence among hospital staff. Will greater recognition of hand hygiene’s importance in curbing the spread of infections translate into better adherence among hospital staff and the public? This page features videos that demonstrate exactly how to conduct hand hygiene properly, articles recapping peer-reviewed literature on the latest advances in monitoring and adherence, as well as the popular "Bug of the Month" feature. 

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Operating Room

 operating room page provides news articles and videos on the intersection between surgery and infection prevention. The operating room is a prime breeding ground for harmful pathogens to spread, resulting in surgical site infections. The role of the infection preventionist, together with the perioperative nursing staff, is to craft policies and processes to cut down on these infections and ensure patient safety during surgical procedures. 

JCR to Host Hospital-Acquired Conditions Conference