A team from Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City recently received an annual Patient Safety Innovation Award from the Indiana Hospital Association’s Patient Safety Center, which recognized the hospital’s efforts for sepsis identification and treatment. Through the team’s efforts, evidence-based guidelines were implemented in the Emergency Department and nurse-driven processes were developed for early sepsis identification and adoption of a hospital education initiative. It also led to establishment of a “Code Septic” alert. “Our successes have been early identification of sepsis patients to 96 percent; lactic acid testing is now 100 percent compliant and we have noted a downward trend in mortality and length of stay for our sepsis patients,” said Amy Baker, hospital supervisor of quality services.
The team was led by Lynette Rayman, who has a doctorate degree in nursing practice and serves in a practical registered nurse role in the hospital education department; and Laura Fuller, hospital critical care clinical nurse specialist. Said Fuller, “This award is a huge accomplishment for the sepsis team and reflects the efforts of so many at the hospital. Most of all, it reflects the commitment of the ED staff, as they provide timely evidence-based care to the patient population. It also validates our health care team’s commitment to providing excellent care in the community.” The hospital was one of 20 nominees; five of which received honors. Shown, from left, are Nancy Kennedy, MD, of the IHA Council on Quality and Patient Safety chairwoman; Karin Kennedy, IHA patient safety and quality adviser; Rayman, Fuller and Carolyn Konfirst, IHA patient safety and quality adviser.
