The 2019-2020 Patient Safety Award and Grant program is centered on reducing hospital acquired infections due to instrument contamination. When instrument policies and practices are inadequate or not followed, the safety of patients and staff may be compromised. Proper care and handling of reusable instruments, from the point of use through terminal processing, is necessary to reduce the risk of procedure-related infections. 

This award and grant program is open to all hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. 

EDUCATION

The learning activity “Reducing Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs): Instrument Point of Use Care,” will provide guidance for situations when medical instruments are used in one area and contaminated items are processed in a separate location. Standards and guidelines from OSHA, CDC, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), The Joint Commission and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) are incorporated to facilitate patient and healthcare worker safety.

To access the learner activity please use the following link: https://medicalinteractive.com/courses/50608 

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• Complete the learning activity.
• Review your current policies, procedures and/or processes.
• Perform an audit to establish a baseline (utilizing the skills checklist found as an attachment to the learning activity).
• Implement changes identified in the audit.
• Perform a second audit after implementation of changes.
• Submit to LAMMICO the changes and improvements made to processes, etc.

AWARD

The hospitals or ambulatory surgery centers that best demonstrate the most meaningful improvement in policies, procedures and/or processes, as determined by a committee of LAMMICO Risk Management professionals, will be awarded:

• A $10,000 grant to the winner to be used for nursing professional development
• A $5,000 grant to the second place participant to be used for nursing professional development
• One-year risk manager membership to the American Society for Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM)
• One-year complimentary membership to Medical Interactive Community for all employees to access our risk management CME/CNE/MOC courses online

Download the 2019-2020 application today.

Contact Lynne Vega, BSN, RN, CNOR(E), LAMMICO Hospital Risk Management Specialist at 504.841.2738 or lvega@lammico.com for more information.