Last November, the American Hospital Association's board of trustees approved initiatives to help hospitals make significant improvements in patient safety by 2013. These include reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections, preventable readmissions and preventable deaths. "The board felt it was necessary to make a statement on behalf of the membership that in certain key areas, we are willing to make a commitment to the field," says AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock.
The Health Research & Educational Trust will spearhead the effort and provide resources to hospitals under the Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence moniker. HRET, in partnership with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Johns Hopkins University and the Keystone Center, already is leading On the CUSP: Stop BSI, a successful effort to curb bloodstream infections.
