Jan. 17, 2014 – The Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA)
presented two Quality and Patient Safety Awards to Southeast Georgia Health
System during the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) Annual Patient Safety
Summit in Greensboro on January 8.
The Health System project, titled “Got VAX? Keeping Our Patients
Safe: Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination Screening Administration
in the Acute Care Setting,” increased vaccination rates for hospital
patients and won first place in the Hospitals with Greater than 300 Beds
Category. A second project, titled “Eliminating Early Elective Deliveries:
Yes We Can!” won first place in the Hospital/Health Systems Category.
These annual awards recognize Georgia health care organizations for achievement
in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and
medical outcomes.
“It is an honor to have our team members recognized for their commitment
to achieving optimum outcomes for our patients,” said Gary R. Colberg,
FACHE, president & CEO, Southeast Georgia Health System. “This
would not have been possible without great teamwork from our physicians
and staff to understand and address quality and safety challenges, and
to then educate their colleagues, as well as our patients, on the best
practices identified for the delivery of safe, quality care. We are very
proud of their accomplishments and the results they have achieved.”
Eliminating Early Elective Deliveries
During the last 30 years, elective labor inductions, or those scheduled
for the convenience of the mother or physician, prior to 39 weeks gestational
age have risen sharply throughout the United States. While most physicians
would only schedule an induction a day or two prior to 39 weeks, these
early inductions can increase the possibility of a delivery by cesarean
section for the mother and reduces time needed for mature lung development
in the infant.
To reduce early elective deliveries, Southeast Georgia Health System implemented
a best practice of requiring obstetricians to provide a medical reason
for inducing labor prior to 39 weeks. A team of about a dozen obstetricians
who deliver babies at the hospitals worked together to develop a form
that lists situations when early induction is indicated for the health
of the mother or infant. Physicians must complete the form and have it
approved by the chair of the hospital’s Department of Obstetrics
and Gynecology in order for an induction to be scheduled prior to 39 weeks.
As a result, the rate of early elective inductions decreased from 12% in
2012 to none during the first six month of 2013, which was the award time
period. “Once we had the process in place, everyone was onboard
with it and the results have been phenomenal,” said Tina Mitchell,
M.D., FACOG, board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, and chief,
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brunswick Campus. “It is
working exactly how we wanted it to work and it has been for everyone’s
benefit.”
Improving Pneumonia and Influenza Vaccination Rates
Influenza and pneumonia are the eighth leading cause of death in the United
States, according to the National Center for Health Care Statistics, but
vaccinations are extremely effective in preventing these infections.
Southeast Georgia Health System implemented a procedure in 2012 where,
during flu season from October to March, all patients are screened at
admission to determine eligibility to receive the influenza vaccinations.
Pneumonia vaccinations are provided throughout the year. For patients
who are eligible and consent, an order is automatically generated by the
hospital’s electronic computer system and sent to the pharmacy where
the order is filled and then sent to the patient’s nurse to administer.
The new protocol, which was approved by the medical staff, means that a
physician order is no longer required for the vaccine. The hospital’s
computer system also tracks whether or not the vaccine has been given
and will resend the order to the nurse prior to discharge if needed. This
is helpful for patients who aren’t able to have the vaccine administered
when they first arrive due to their medical condition. As a result, the
hospital’s vaccination rates improved from 93.9% in 2012, to 100%
for the first six months of 2013, which was the award time period.
“This wasn’t the work of just one department. It was an interdisciplinary
effort,” said Sherry L. Sweek, RHIA, CPHQ, CPMSM, director of quality
improvement at the Health System. “It shows the huge difference
we can make when everyone comes together to improve patient care.”
Core Measure Honor Roll
Southeast Georgia Health System was also recently included in GHA’s
Core Measure Honor Roll for the third straight quarter. The association’s
Honor Roll recognizes the top 30% of hospitals in the state with the highest
composite scores, which includes certain core measures hospitals are required
to track by its accrediting bodies, The Joint Commission and the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These include core measures pertaining
to the care of surgical patients and patients with acute myocardial infarction
(heart attack), heart failure (HF), pneumonia.