Einstein Honored for MRSA Initiative
Hospital & Healthcare Association Bestows Innovation, Patient Safety Awards
Philadelphia, PA, April 11, 2008 Albert Einstein Healthcare Network proudly announces its SMASH initiative – a broad-based effort to fight a dangerous drug-resistant
staph germ – has garnered two prestigious awards from The Hospital Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP).
The Innovation and Patient Safety Awards will be presented at a luncheon on Tuesday, April 15, 2008, during HAP’s 2008 Patient
Safety Symposium at the Wyndham Gettysburg Hotel & Conference Center. Jeffrey Cohn, MD, Einstein’s Chief Quality Officer, and his team won for their entry, “Stop MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)
Acquisition and Spread in our Hospitals: MRSA Prevention Through Positive Deviance.”
The Innovation award recognizes exemplary work through the introduction of a bold, breakthrough idea or intervention that
has resulted in improved systemwide processes or outcomes. The Einstein team will receive a plaque for the hospital, certificates
for team members and a special, standing engraved award for the Innovation Award.
Not only has the initiative reduced the MRSA infection rate, but its innovative approach, positive deviance, is being adopted
by different services throughout the Einstein network.
“We are extremely pleased and honored by this recognition,” Dr. Cohn said. “Everyone at Einstein, and everyone they connect
to, is a part of our effort to eliminate MRSA transmission and shares in this accomplishment.”
HAP officials say Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems are among the nation’s most innovative and creative in their delivery
of patient care services. Each year, HAP honors this innovation, creativity, and commitment to patient care through the annual
HAP Achievement Awards. These awards showcase and share member hospital and health system innovations and best practices in
a variety of areas. Einstein is one of 16 winners selected from 100 entries this year, with all submissions considered for
the Innovation Award.
SMASH has reduced the MRSA infection rate by nearly 30 percent, from 0.55 cases per 1,000 patient days in early 2006 to 0.39
cases per 1,000 patient days from July-December 2007. In real numbers, 19 fewer patients acquired MRSA infections in 2007,
undoubtedly saving lives.
The positive deviance approach focuses the community of caregivers whose behaviors need to change on their internal peers
who’ve already identified ways to do the right thing each and every time. Actions emerge from ideas generated in discussions
called “discovery and action dialogues” and are carried out by front-line staff. Examples generated through SMASH include
performing surveillance cultures; creating simple ways to provide gowns, gloves and hand-hygiene products for each patient
room, and creating computer alerts for patients documented to harbor MRSA.
Publish date: April 11, 2008
