February 7, 2003

"I used CalStat. Did you?"

It is a question that MGHers have been asking their colleagues lately, "Did you use CalStat?" And a few brave employees did so in a very public way by lending their images to the MGH Hand Hygiene Program's poster campaign. Seven employees are featured in posters being distributed throughout the hospital this week.

While this public display might result in good-natured ribbing by colleagues, these MGH employees feel strongly about the message — to practice good hand hygiene before and after patient contact by using CalStat, the waterless hand disinfectant available throughout the hospital.

"We know for a fact that products like CalStat are effective in destroying bacteria from hands, and using the waterless gels can significantly decrease the spread of hospital-acquired infections," says David Hooper, MD, chief of the MGH Infection Control Unit and chair of the Hand Hygiene Task Force. "We want all clinicians to make CalStat use a standard part of their practice."

The posters feature Hooper, with Rob Rigdon and Cy Hopkins, MD, of Infection Control, along with medical resident Larry Allen, MD; Lisa Kasman, PT, of Physical Therapy; and Jean Stewart, RN, Ghislaine Vatelia and Gwen Lakes, all of White 6 (Lakes is shown above). For more information about the Hand Hygiene Program, call the Infection Control Unit at (617) 726-2036.