White Memorial Medical Center Receives Distinguished Star Award
By Wendy Grafius, contributing writer
White Memorial earns SonoSite patient-safety award for achieving a hospital-wide zero iatrogenic pneumothorax complication rate during central line catheterizations
White Memorial Medical Center (WMMC), one of the Los Angeles region’s leading non-profit hospitals, was recently presented FUJIFILM SonoSite’s Star Award for the highest level of patient safety. The award recognizes a zero rate since 2011 for both iatrogenic pneumothorax complications (collapsed lungs) during central line catheterizations (CVCs) and central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) in the intensive care unit – a result attributed to the hospital’s 2010 introduction of the SonoSite Central Line Management Training Program.
A 353-bed facility associated with the Adventist Health System, WMMC serves communities in and near downtown Los Angeles and, as a major teaching hospital, has primary affiliation with Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Administrators had expressed concern about the rate of iatrogenic pneumothorax (IP) and central line-associated infections (CLABSI) at the hospital and developed a task force to find a solution. "We strove to reach that extra level of being able to deliver on really perfect care,” said Mara Bryant, White Memorial’s Senior Vice President for Organizational Excellence.
The SonoSite Central Line Management Training Program at WMMC was implemented from January 2010 to August 2011. Developed by FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc., which specializes in compact yet high-performance ultrasound brought to the patient point of care, the training program is highly instructional with several elements. At WMMC, that included training for best practices in inserting central lines, “train the trainer” sessions, and quality assurance feedback. A five-point central-line bundle which follows safety measures by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) was taught along with an important sixth step, integral to the SonoSite program. Ultrasound needle guidance for line placements was additionally taught to decrease complications such as hematoma, arterial puncture, cannulation failure, and pneumothorax.
But it was the hospital’s dedication to rigorous compliance that ensured a positive outcome. “We applaud White Memorial Medical Center for their success in implementing a high standard for eliminating serious iatrogenic complications, said Kevin M. Goodwin, President and CEO, FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc. “Outstanding accomplishments never occur without commitment and active involvement. White Memorial has demonstrated its dedication to excellence and patient safety.”
SonoSite had previously awarded the Star Award only once before WMMC’s achievement. In 2011, the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System of Houston, TX, dropped its iatrogenic pneumothorax rate to zero upon using ultrasound for central line placements.
SOURCE: Business Wire