Banishing the Bugs at JMHS

The Superior Health Quality Alliance (SHQA) commends JMHS on its infection control program.

Staff from Care Center, Environmental Services, and Infection Control were recognized by SHQA

The dangerous microorganisms that spread infection from patient to patient aren’t visible to the human eye. For this reason, Johnson Memorial sanitizes everything from blood pressure cuffs to high-touch surfaces between each patient.

These efforts and others ensure the safety and health of our patients and staff. Johnson Memorial’s infection control is stringent, and it’s improving every day.

Over the past several years, Kelly Wente has been developing a program to improve infection control at JMHS’s long-term care facility. It worked. The program received a commendation from the Superior Health Quality Alliance (SHQA) “for completing an infection control improvement initiative.”

Just ask Kelly Wente, Lab manager, and Infection Control Coordinator.

SHQA and JMHS started with a survey to find areas for improvement. “We identified an area that we wanted to focus on,” says Wente. “And decided that auditing the cleaning of multi-use equipment after each use would be a good audit.”

Then, in concert with SHQA, the team devised a weekly educational program that detailed standards and provided a way to measure progress toward goals. “Auditing is a key component in measuring our quality improvement,” says Wente.

Families and loved ones “know that we’re providing the best possible care for residents, making sure
they have a safe environment,” she says.

“The staff does an excellent job, and they want what’s best for the residents,” says Wente. Improving and maintaining efficient quality protocols is a goal for all of us.