Ivinson Memorial Hospital was recognized by Mountain-Pacific Quality Health and Wyoming Infection Prevention Advisory Group for achieving excellence in infection prevention during the 5th Annual Infection Prevention Conference in Casper, Wyoming on April 22.

Ivinson achieved ZERO Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI)/ Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) Infections /Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) /ALL in 2014.

Most of Wyoming’s hospitals are committed to reporting to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) national healthcare acquired infection database and to implement research-based best practices. All Wyoming hospitals are voluntarily reporting these numbers, which reflects their dedication to providing the best patient care possible.

Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Gern said, “The staff at Ivinson is committed to providing a high quality of patient care and safety.  We have implemented several processes that are based on best practices to achieve these outstanding results.  I am very proud of this recognition and the care our staff delivers on a daily basis.”

According to Gern hospitals all across the country struggle to prevent hospital acquired infections.  Two that are difficult to prevent are Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) and Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI).  At Ivinson, we have not had a CLABSI since February 2013 and we have not had a CAUTI since May 2014.

The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting and data program, statistically calculates risk adjusted predictions of how many CLABSI, CAUTI and C.difficile infections would occur in each hospital.  Wyoming hospitals consistently have fewer infections than predicted and continue work to decrease the infections that occur. Ivinson along with other Wyoming hospitals demonstrate their dedication to reducing healthcare associated infections by exceeding national goals and acheving ZERO infections.

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