Lourdes Specialty Hospital Receives 3M Award for Excellence in Skin Safety at WOCN Conference

3M Critical & Chronic Care Solutions Division and the WOCN Society announce that Lourdes Specialty Hospital in Burlington County, N.J., has received the 3M Award for Excellence in Skin Safety.

Lourdes Specialty Hospital is a 69-bed long-term acute-care hospital designed to provide intensive care to patients who have ventilator dependency, medically complex conditions such as extensive non-healing wounds, infections, system failure, and surgical complications. The facility’s wound care program was selected for its mission to ensure prevention of new wounds. The program is executed by such activities as outstanding wound monitoring, tracking and reporting methods, comprehensive staff training and extensive patient education. In addition, each patient has an individualized plan of care.

In its third year, 3M sponsored the competitive award to promote and recognize healthcare facilities and their WOCN Society members who have implemented a patient care regimen designed to prevent skin injuries and improve skin integrity. The winning team received financial support through an unrestricted educational grant to attend the annual WOCN conference in Nashville. Previous recipients of the award are Rochester, N.Y.-based Strong Memorial Hospital and Tucson, Ariz.-based Northwest Medical Center.

To compete for the award, facilities were invited by the WOCN to submit summaries of skin care programs that have achieved measurable and sustained results in the area of skin integrity. The programs also had to demonstrate best-in-class prevention protocols; comprehension, accessibility and user-friendliness of product formulary; interdisciplinary participation; senior leadership engagement and front-line autonomy; and creative and effective staff and patient education. A panel of WOCN members selected by the WOCN Society judged entries.

Bill Cruise, vice president and general manager for 3M Critical & Chronic Care Solutions Division, presented the award to Gregory Mukalian, DO, from Lourdes Specialty Hospital, at the 46th Annual Conference of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society, hosted this year in Nashville.

“Lourdes Specialty Hospital is a deserving recipient with its efforts to provide respect, dignity and quality of care for each patient, but most importantly its mission to prevent new wounds,” says Cruise. “At 3M we place high priority on prevention when it comes to patient skin care.”

“This year, the submission from the team at Lourdes Specialty Hospital stood out from the rest because they have demonstrated both creativity and persistence in the quest to reduce hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs),” says Laurie McNichol, MSN, RN, GNP, CWOCN, CWON-AP; WOCN Society Development Chair. “Their sustained gains in this area of quality improvement are to be celebrated. The WOCN is excited to be able to showcase their accomplishments at the Society’s 46th Annual Conference.”

3M’s leadership in improving skin integrity is reflected in its innovative line of Cavilon™ brand products, designed to help protect skin and prevent skin damage. The Cavilon professional skin care line includes cleansers, moisturizers, moisture barriers and antifungal creams that help simplify skin care regimens, maintain and support skin integrity, and provide comfort and convenience to clinicians, patients and families.

Source: 3M Health Care