Editor's note: David Daniel, author, is CEO of Lakeland (Fla.) Surgical and Diagnostic Center. He received the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's annual Healthcare Administrator Award and was recognized by APIC for "supporting programs that have virtually eliminated healthcare-associated infections at his facility."
Here are five tips for surgery center CEOs who want to make infection control a main priority in their ASCs.
1. Obtain board support and backing. After making the decision that infection control and prevention should be a major emphasis for the whole organization, I realized that it would be managerially shortsighted and politically foolish to embark on such a venture (knowing it would involve increased expense, time and staffing) without first obtaining the support and backing of our Board of Directors. Once I presented our plan and goal to the Board, we received their full support and encouragement to move forward with this project, which set us on the path to success.
2. Appoint managerial leadership. Any new program in healthcare is only as successful as the competency and dedication of the leaders who direct it and oversee it. Luckily the Lakeland Surgical and Diagnostic Center (LSDC) already had in place two very capable senior, seasoned nurses who had previously demonstrated an interest in infection control and prevention. One was the executive director of our Griffin Road ASC, and the other was the director of our operating rooms. I appointed them both, in a detailed written directive, as infection control officers and instructed them to work together to set up a comprehensive program of infection control and prevention for the LSDC.
3. Budget for adequate resources. When we began our new comprehensive IC program at LSDC, it was well before CMS had issued its Conditions for Coverage requirements and well before infection control had become an emphasis and concern for ASCs. We did not have an infection problem at LSDC at that time, and our infection rates were well within acceptable industry standards, but we felt it was the "right thing to do" and it was the right time to do it, which supports one of the guiding principles of the organization. So, with the Board's blessing, I made sure the new infection control program was adequately budgeted to receive all the resources of funding, staffing, equipment, education and training to do everything necessary to reach our objective.
4. Educate, train and certify staff. The two appointed infection control officers were very knowledgeable and capable registered nurses, but they had little formal training in the specifics of infection control and prevention. So we immediately started signing up for conferences and seminars, and purchasing manuals, books and newsletters. We hired an outside infection control consultant to perform an in-depth review and analysis of our facilities, equipment, supplies, policies, procedures and practices. We encouraged infection control staff to obtain certifications and certificates, and we held mandatory staff training sessions to get everyone smart — fast — in all aspects of the subject matter.
5. Change the culture. Once we started introducing this new, comprehensive infection control and prevention program to all our physicians, staff, patients, visitors and vendors, it became obvious to everyone involved that we were very serious about permanently improving our infection rate within the LSDC, and that it was here to stay. This was not a flash-in-the-pan program but a conscious effort to make proper infection control practices an integral part of how we do business on a daily basis. The culture gradually began to change, and now proper infection control has become second nature for the LSDC organization, and everyone is proud and pleased with our accomplishment in this area.
Thank you to APIC for arranging this column.
