Stopping HAIs: Programs to Improve Culture, Eliminate Infections

On the Cusp Initiative

Goal
Reduce the occurrence of two frequent hospital-acquired infections—urinary tract and bloodstream—while improving hospital culture and increasing adoption of safety practices. A related initiative, the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, targeted reductions in bloodstream infections in infants in neo-natal intensive care units.

About
Launched in 2009, the On the Cusp initiative engaged 69 units in 35 hospitals in the central line-associated bloodstream infection program and 21 units in 10 hospitals in the catheter-associated urinary tract infection program. Sixteen NICUs participated in the Perinatal Quality Collaborative. FHA partnered with HRET to coordinate Florida hospitals' participation.

Florida was one of the first states in the nation to participate in the program. A major emphasis was on building a quality-focused hospital culture in which all members of the patient care team feel they may speak up if they see or suspect a safety concern.

Through the initiatives, participants trained their staffs on the science of safety, measured the culture for patient safety in their own organizations, and worked to improve that culture so that all staff members are focused on preventing patient harm.