North Shore-LIJ Recognized for Infection Prevention Best Practices

The North Shore-LIJ Health System announced Friday that it has been awarded the Risk Management and Patient Safety Best Practices Award for 2014 by Roslyn-based Physicians’ Reciprocal Insurers.

The award recognizes North Shore-LIJ's efforts to reduce patients’ central-line infections and the health system's facilities. 

According to North Shore-LIJ, many of its intensive care units have not experienced this kind of infection for more than six months. Huntington Hospital’s ICU, LIJ Medical Center’s surgical ICU, Staten Island University Hospital north site’s cardiac care unit and pediatric ICU, and SIUH south site’s CCU and ICU have not had one of those infections in three years.

These infections were reduced by creating a set of uniform hygiene standards and other protocols that can be consistently applied as well as by giving caregivers the tools to reduce infections, noted Donna Armellino, a registered nurse and North Shore-LIJ vice president of infection prevention. Practices that helped reduce infections include using electronic health records, involving patients in healthcare decisions, increasing situational awareness among medical professionals and staff members and using national guidelines, according to the health system.

“This is a team effort by everyone at all of the facilities and it reflects North Shore-LIJ’s culture of continuous, thoughtful care,” said Mark Jarrett, MD, North Shore-LIJ senior vice president and chief quality officer.

Physicians’ Reciprocal Insurers, which recognized North Shore-LIJ with the best practices award, is a liability insurance provider for health facilities and physicians.