ments, but the payoff came quickly. Within 6 months, they reduced
their infection rate by 70%. In attacking SSIs on numerous fronts,
there are costs to consider, of course. But considering the financial
implications that can be associated with a single infection, the cost of
taking a slow or overly cautious approach has the potential to be
much higher. "You always want to look at costs, but patient safety has
to be the top priority. It overrides and trumps everything else," says
Ms. Conine.
Mercy Tiffin's SSI rate is now below the national target rate, and the
goal is to keep going and get as close to zero as possible. "After all,"
says Ms. Conine, "if it's your family member or yourself having surgery,
you'd want the facility to do everything they could to provide the best
prevention possible." — Jim Burger
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