June 16, 2006
Friday

Ketchikan, Alaska - As the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) celebrated saving an estimated 122,300 lives across the country through its 100k Lives Campaign, Ketchikan General Hospital (KGH) announced that its own efforts in conjunction with the program have dramatically improved its quality of care locally.

"The campaign was embraced by our caregivers, and though we were already accomplishing most of these interventions, 100K gave us the incentive to formalize them and carry them out in every single case. We are thrilled to be a part of this heartwarming success story," said Patrick Branco, KGH CEO.

The IHI celebrated this milestone at the 2nd Annual International Hospital Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 14. Eighteen months ago, IHI challenged the nation's hospitals to rethink their medical practices and save an additional 100,000 lives. The Campaign was endorsed by the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the Veterans Health Administration.

The IHI website lists over 3,000 hospitals involved, as well as Q&A including an explanation of how the numbers of lives saved were calculated.

All six PeaceHealth hospitals, including KGH, rose to the challenge, implementing all six of the 100k Lives Campaign interventions:

• Deployment of Rapid Response Teams at the first sign of a decline in patient health
• Deliver reliable, evidence-based care for Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
• Prevent Adverse Drug Events (ADEs)
• Prevent Central Line Infections
• Prevent Surgical Site Infections
• Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Ketchikan General Hospital is the only hospital in Alaska that has undertaken all six interventions.

"The Campaign was a significant undertaking for PeaceHealth with outstanding results," said James Scott, MD, Senior Vice President for Medical Practice Development. "The lives of patients have been saved by our caregivers' dedication and focus on these important interventions."

Since KGH joined the 100k Lives Campaign, the hospital's Emergency Department took on a medication reconciliation project involving every patient admitted through the ER. (See attached separate story) As the only ER in PeaceHealth embracing this process, they are setting the pace for the other hospitals. "The process the ER launched is currently being rolled out to Ketchikan clinics, and to all KGH admissions," stated Lorrie Mortensen, Vice President for Patient Care.

"Nurses are also being trained to update the medication list again at the time the patient is discharged, " she said.

Participation in the 100k Lives Campaign is one example of how KGH is carrying out the PeaceHealth Promise: Dedicated to exceptional medicine and compassionate care. KGH prides itself in continuous quality improvement, using modern, sophisticated tools and procedures, supported by a workforce that is committed to quality and safety for patients.

Ketchikan General Hospital is part of PeaceHealth, a not-for-profit health care system sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, with services in Oregon, Washington and Alaska.

On the Web:

Ketchikan General Hospital
http://www.peacehealth.org/SoutheastAlaska/

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Ketchikan, Alaska