Monday, February 1, 2010

Consumer Reports: no infections

Sue Chamberlain's phone started ringing last evening. Several doctors asked if she had seen the current issue of Consumer Reports. No, she had not.

By this morning Sue had a copy of the magazine showing Community General Hospital as one of nine New York State hospitals having no central line infections in 2008, the most recent year for which Consumer Reports had comparison data.

Sue is the director of Community's infection control program, and she and her colleagues take infections personally. But infections aren't prevented by Sue and her colleagues alone. They are prevented by the careful work of nurses, physicians, and other clinicians, following standard precautions and procedures. They are prevented by environmental services and other support personnel paying attention.

Low infection rates are something for everyone to be proud of.

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