Infection Control Sounding Board

Infection control initiatives at 125 hospitals are getting a boost through a nationwide effort that offers hospitals tools for detecting, treating and ultimately preventing methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus infections.

During the past six months, hundreds of workers at hospitals ranging from small rural facilities to large metropolitan tertiary health systems have participated in the VHA Inc. program that brings together industry experts, data measurement tools and peer organizations to facilitate reduction of MRSA infections.

“We started in October of last year and have offered monthly content calls throughout that time frame discussing a range of topics related to reducing MRSA. Our members say they benefit from having these peer-to-peer discussions and knowing that other hospitals are facing the same issues they are,” says Betty Wilson, RN, director of clinical performance at Irving, TX-based VHA and MRSA initiative leader.

Since the program launched, VHA’s content calls have addressed a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from the broad—including the current state of MRSA, collaborative efforts in reducing MRSA infections, measurement tools and reporting—to the specific, such as hand hygiene, barrier precautions and appropriate identification of an MRSA patient. VHA officials say it’s too early to know what effect the program has had on reducing the number of MRSA infections, but preliminary data indicates enough of an improvement that a second wave of the program is already being planned for later this year.

“Even though infection control practitioners know what steps need to be taken to combat MRSA, often hospitals don’t have the resources necessary to expand or implement these programs. We’re hoping this initiative will help hospitals expand or streamline current efforts to identify problem areas and improve prevention,” says Wilson.

According to Wilson, one of the most popular aspects of the program has been the listserv component, in which VHA members can discuss MRSA issues facing their individual hospitals online. “The MRSA listserv is the most active in VHA. It’s a true peer-to-peer network that allows people to talk to each other and discuss their questions and concerns with their peers,” she says.

“We’ve seen that there is a real need for these professionals to contact each other and discuss their protocols. They aren’t having to re-create the wheel each time they are faced with a new problem; they are able to see what’s worked in other facilities, and that has been a big help.”

—Kathryn Mackenzie