Where's Sue?

This week we saw a Sue Chamberlain who is, shall we say, two dimensional.

As the Infection Control Program Director at Community General Hospital, Sue is ubiquitous, showing up in the early morning hours, on evenings, and during weekends in the ICU, on the med-surg floors, and in the lab. She is, as we know, a coach, an educator, a friend, and always our conscience in a white coat.

Now she is also a stand-up sign that points at staff and visitors alike to ask, “Did you wash your hands?”

As I’ve previously reported, Community’s ongoing monitoring shows a 95% compliance rate with hand washing protocols, significantly greater than the national average, to be sure – but what about the remaining 5%?

Sue’s stand-up sign is a friendly reminder that washing hands is one of the most important things we do to reduce the risk of infection.

I introduced the cutout at a management meeting Wednesday morning and afterward placed it in the main lobby. By the next morning, one good humored soul, who will be nameless, had left a whimsical message with the sign: “Have you seen this lady,” it read. “Missing since 7/19/07. Seen last by the Purell® dispenser…”

Expect Sue, either the stand-up sign or the genuine article, to appear soon in a location near you. As a sign, she serves as a reminder. As herself, she continues as resource, educator, and conscience.

Let’s achieve and maintain 100% hand hygiene compliance at Community General Hospital.