GNYHA/UHF CLABs Quality Improvement Collaborative

Infection control in health care settings has emerged as a top priority across the country. A large and growing body of evidence demonstrates that infections cause significant harm to patients while adding major costs to health care delivery. JCAHO has designated infection control as one of its National Patient Safety Goals, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is developing several quality improvement measures focusing on infection control. In December 2004, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement challenged the health care community to commit to specific goals for patient safety improvement, including reduction of central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABs) acquired in intensive care units (ICUs).

The Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) and United Hospital Fund (UHF) have embarked upon a Quality Improvement Collaborative supporting the use of proven infection control practices in ICUs to improve the quality of care and patient safety. Thirty-eight hospitals throughout the Greater New York region are participating in the CLABs Collaborative, with the primary goal of reducing central line associated bloodstream infections. This Web site, called Joint Effort New York (Jeny), which is administered through IPRO, serves as the Collaborative's information-sharing resource center, and we encourage participating hospitals to view important information, documents, and tools, as well as to share best practices here.

What's New and Helpful Resources

• Next Conference Call for all CLABs Participating Hospitals: 1/10/08, 2p.m. Partial Focus on C. difficile Collaborative
• Photos Included!  See Materials from Kick-off Meeting for Hospitals Joining the CLABs Collaborative: 8/03/06, 9:30am to 1:30pm
• NEW EXAMPLES!  Examples of CLABs Collaborative Best Practices & Data Collection Forms
• Photos Included!  See Materials from Learning Session Three: One Year Progress: CLABs Collaborative Accomplishments and Next Steps: 5/24/06, 7:45am to 3:30pm
• Algorithm for Defining Central Line and BSIs
• See Materials from Learning Session Two: System Approaches to Sustaining Improvements in Quality and Patient Safety. Photos Included: 10/19/05, 7:45am to 4:30pm
• See GNYHA's Skyline Newsletter (Oct 31, 2005) for articles describing the CLABs Second Learning Session and Paul O'Neill's discussion with the GNYHA Board of Governors
• Watch Dr. Richard Shannon's presentation on Allegheny General Hospital's experience which was described at the May 6, 2005 CLABs Quality Improvement Collaborative kick-off meeting.