News

Holy Cross Hospital Receives Recognition for Infection Prevention Performance

TAOS, NM – Holy Cross Hospital was recognized on Thursday, August 11 at the New Mexico Annual Healthcare-associated Infections (HAI) Conference. Infection Preventionist, Sandy O’Kelly, received an appreciation plaque on behalf of Holy Cross Hospital from Dr. Joan Baumbach, who represented the NM HAI Advisory Committee and the New Mexico Department of Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology Bureau.

Holy Cross Hospital participated in all three of the major data submission and infection prevention activities of the NM HAI program during 2010-2011. These were focused on healthcare personnel influenza vaccination and central line-associated bloodstream infections.

The three activities in which Holy Cross Hospital participated included: 1) a statewide learning collaborative to share and implement best practices for preventing and tracking central line-associated bloodstream infections; 2) data submission to the NM Department of Health for central line-associated bloodstream infections; and 3) data submission to the NM Department of Health for healthcare personnel influenza vaccinations.

“We have not had a Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infection (CLABSI) since August 2008, which means the hospital did not have any CLABSI during the reporting period. We continue to monitor our practices for compliance with evidence-based practices to prevent infections,” says Sandy O’Kelly, BSN, RN, CIC, Infection Prevention/ Employee Health at Holy Cross Hospital. “More specifically Holy Cross Hospital’s health care personnel employee influenza vaccination rates for 2010-2011 were 59%, close to the state aggregate rate of 60.4%.”
 

Media Contact: Maria Meadowcroft, Public Relations Coordinator, Holy Cross Hospital
Phone: 575.751.8909