Kimberly-Clark Healthcare Joins National Initiative to Reduce Surgical Complications

ROSWELL, Ga. -- Kimberly-Clark Corporations Health Care business announced today its participation in the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), a national initiative designed to improve surgical care in hospitals.  Kimberly-Clark Health Cares involvement with SCIP continues the businesss commitment of reducing the number of healthcare associated infections in acute care and alternate site surgical settings.

A partnership of leading public and private healthcare organizations, SCIP was created to provide hospitals, physicians, nurses and other caregivers with effective strategies to reduce four common surgical complications ­ surgical site infection, adverse cardiac events, deep vein thrombosis and postoperative pneumonia. 

Healthcare-associated infections can take a measurable toll on a patients health and safety, extending treatment and leading to longer hospital stays, said Joanne Bauer, president of Kimberly-Clark Health Care. As a leader in providing solutions to help prevent surgical site infections, ventilator associated pneumonia and perioperative hypothermia, we are pleased to be working with SCIP in an effort to reach the collective goal of reducing surgical complications by 25 percent by the year 2010. 

SCIP is one of the first national quality improvement initiatives to unite national hospital, physician and nursing organizations; the federal government; JCAHO; and private sector experts. Under SCIP, this initiative brings together the best available science and technology to improve patient safety and well-being. 

The SCIP Steering Committee includes the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, American College of Surgeons, American Hospital Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Association of Medicaid Services, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the Veterans Health Administration.

Dr. Thomas Russell, executive director of the American College of Surgeons, says that collaboration is the key to improving outcomes. The SCIP partnership was designed to be all about patients. It isnt about us or the surgeons or the members of our team.  This is about bringing the members of the team together to look at the issues we face, particularly complications, and see what we can do to improve outcomes, said Russell.

We are excited to be a part of this important national initiative, which has the potential to play a major role in improving surgical care in the U.S., said Bauer. As a leading global provider of innovative and technologically advanced medical devices, such as our micro-thin balloon membranes and patient warming system, we look forward to sharing our expertise in helping prevent, diagnose and manage healthcare-associated infections and to reducing surgical complications.  

Source: Kimberly-Clark Health Care