The Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) presented its prestigious Quality and Patient Safety Award to Habersham Medical Center in Demorest for its project that reduced the risk of spreading the influenza virus. The project titled, “Preventing Influenza in Healthcare,” won first place in the Less Than 100 Beds Category. Habersham was also presented with a Circle of Excellence Award, an honor given to hospitals and health systems that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to quality and patient safety as evidenced by not only winning a patient safety award in 2010, but also by earning three or more PHA Patient Safety Awards within the previous five years. These annual awards recognize Georgia health care organizations for achievement in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and medical outcomes.
To help prevent the spread of the influenza virus, Habersham created a flu task force, including representatives from occupational health, employee health and infection preventionists. They set a goal of increasing the organization’s employee vaccination rate by 25 percent. They also identified employees’ reasons for rejecting the flu vaccine, which were the belief that the vaccine would cause the flu and some employees assuming they should save the vaccine for individuals who really needed it.
The hospital ran a campaign that provided facts, dispelled myths, and offered employee education on prevention. The organization also provided door prizes and other incentives for employees to encourage them to get the flu vaccine. The team administering the vaccines visited each department instead of asking employees to come to them during scheduled times, which made it more convenient for employees. Those who received a flu shot wore a green sticker on their name badges and those who did not were required to wear a mask while at work. Results showed an overall vaccination rate of 84.32 percent at the beginning of the 2009-2010 influenza season, an increase of 30 percent from the 2007-2008 season.
“It is essential that hospital employees set an example in vaccinating themselves against influenza, especially during a time of year when patients are more likely to have the illness,” said Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) President Joseph Parker. “We applaud Habersham Medical Center for taking a leadership role in this effort and are grateful for its dedication to providing the best and safest care possible for its patients.” |