New York ICP Recognized as "Hero" by APIC

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Linda Greene, RN, MPS, CIC, an infection prevention and control professional at Rochester GeneralHospital in Rochester, N.Y., was named one of the 2006 Heroes of Infection Prevention by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and Tyco Healthcare/Kendall. The Heroes program recognizes APIC members who are contributing significantly to the reduction of infection and who are impacting the health, safety and well-being of patients, healthcare workers and the public.

Eighteen years ago and after 12 years as a registered nurse, Greene was given the opportunity to become an infection control practitioner (ICP), the person responsible for designing and implementing an infection prevention and control program at a hospital or healthcare facility. She has never looked back.

It was the right thing to do, said Greene. As a nurse you influence an individual patient but as an ICP you make a difference in a more global way by impacting a whole group of patients.

At Rochester General Hospital, where she has been employed for the past 10 years, Greene initiated several programs with far-reaching patient safety impact.

Two years ago, Greene led a team of professionals to reduce bacteria associated with central venous catheters (CVC) in the facilitys intensive care unit and expanded the program to the entire organization. CVC bacteremia can prolong hospitalization, increase healthcare costs and lead to death. Within three months, death attributed to CVC bacteremia decreased from 4 percent to zero. Two years later, the overall bacteremia rate decreased by 72 percent.

She also introduced a program that resulted in a cadre of infection control liaison nurses.

These nurses are the eyes and ears of the infection control department, she said. Every unit has an infection control liaison nurse, specially trained in infection control, to help educate co-workers and gather data. Our hospital has four infection prevention and control nurses and we have about 35 liaisons who meet monthly.

"Heroes" were selected based on a number of criteria, including the sustainability of a program, the process or activity; and quantitative proof of success of the program.

Award recipients are featured in a 2006 calendar, which includes a photo of the winner and a brief description of his/her program. Each winner also receives a free registration to APICs 33rd annual educational conference and international meeting, which will be held June 11-15, 2006 in Tampa, Fla.

We congratulate Linda and all the infection prevention and control professionals featured in this, our inaugural calendar of heroes and applaud their dedication to infection prevention best practices, said APIC executive director Kathy L. Warye. This program will become an annual endeavor to bring attention to the exciting, innovative work that is being done to advance the profession.

For more information on the "Heroes" program, go to:

http://www.apic.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Press/NewsReleases/heroes_calendar_12_20_05.pdf

Source: APIC

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