Thornton Kirby, President and CEO of the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) recently presented AAMC with five Zero Harm Awards in recognition of the hospital’s efforts to eliminate harm.
AAMC was recognized for having zero hospital acquired Clostridium Difficile (C diff) for 24 months, zero hospital acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) for 42 months, zero central line associated blood stream infections (CLASBI) in the ICU for 58 months, zero surgical site infections of the knee for 58 months and zero surgical site infections of the hip for 58 months.
“I commend our staff for their incredible diligence and for consistently taking the steps necessary to provide a safe environment for our patients,” stated Dean Turner, AAMC CEO. “This truly is a testament to our dedication and commitment to provide the highest quality of care possible.”
SCHA launched Zero Harm Awards in 2013 after years of supporting South Carolina hospitals which were already on the forefront of preventing medical errors, which by some estimates, is the third leading cause of death in the United States and can have an economic impact that could reach $1 trillion annually. Thanks to a collaboration with The Duke Endowment and The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Health, South Carolina hospitals were united in a statewide effort to create a culture of high reliability and reduce harm in our facilities by implementing robust, evidence-based practices that are making a positive impact on patients and the safety and quality of care.
Over the last five years, SCHA’s Zero Harm Awards program has provided concrete proof of our hospitals’ success. By celebrating hospitals that have
In 2018, SCHA introduced two new eligible harm areas for awards, Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), two other common areas of infection which our hospitals have been systematically eliminating inside their walls.
According to Kirby, the awards are all part of the Association’s efforts to guide and support the state’s hospitals in creating a culture of “Zero Harm” by recognizing the efforts of the amazing clinicians who work every day to provide high quality care in South Carolina’s hospitals and health systems.
“Zero Harm is about taking the principles of high reliability and applying them to how we deliver healthcare in South Carolina,” said Kirby. “While one medical error is one too many, highly reliable organizations celebrate milestones to establish a new standard – and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do with Zero Harm.”
Caption: (l-r) Dean Turner, CEO, Chris Ceraldi, MD, Chief of Staff, Laura Baughman, RN, Infection Control Nurse, Thornton Kirby, SCHA President & CEO and Chris Oxendine, MD, Board of Trustees Medical Staff Representative were on hand to receive the Zero Harm Awards presented by the SCHA.
