February 18, 2005

Clean hands equal healthy patients

The results are in for the fourth-quarter MGH Hand Hygiene Clean Sweepstakes contest, and eight patient care units have been rewarded for the most improved hand hygiene compliance before and after patient contact. Congratulations go to White 3, Ellison 6, Bigelow 7, Ellison 8, Bigelow 13, Ellison 14, Phillips 20 and White 8.

Bigelow 9, 11 and 13, Ellison 3, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 14, and White 3 and 11 also are being recognized for achieving a compliance rate of at least 50 percent before and 70 percent after contact with a patient or a patient's environment, making the units members of the 50/70 Club.

The Clean Sweepstakes is sponsored by the STOP - Stop Transmission of Pathogens - task force. It is a friendly competition among patient care units to encourage all MGHers to use Cal Stat - a waterless hand disinfectant - before and after patient contact to help reduce the rates of hospital-acquired infections and improve patient care.

For the first quarter of 2005, standards have been set higher for the Clean Sweepstakes contest. Any unit that achieves both a compliance rate of at least 50 percent before and 80 percent after contact with a patient or a patient's environment will receive a special reward.

For more information about the Clean Sweepstakes, call Rosemary O'Malley at (617) 726-9663.