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For Immediate Release
Mercy Memorial ICU Manager Receives Spirit Award
 Ardmore — Roger Hays, Mercy Memorial intensive care
unit (ICU) manager, was one of 41 hospital employees from across the
state to receive an Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) Spirit of
Achievement Award. The award, given at the OHA Annual convention in
November in Oklahoma City, was in recognition of his significant
commitment to eliminate ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) cases in
ICU patients.
Nationally, VAP is the leading cause of death in
patients who require mechanical ventilator support. For most patients,
it increases their time on a ventilator, their time in ICU and their
time in the hospital once discharged from ICU.
Hays and Mary Ann Steele, RN, pulled together a
multidisciplinary team, consisting of infection control, ICU staff,
nursing administration, nutrition, pastoral care, pharmacy, physical
therapy, physicians, respiratory therapy and social services. The team’s
purpose was to improve the management of patients requiring mechanical
ventilation. The team established a process with a holistic approach to
managing ventilator patients, using a set of criteria from the Institute
for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) 100,000 Lives campaign as a
foundation for their plan.
The improvements include elevating the head of the
bed to between 30 and 45 degrees, a brief daily interruption from
sedation to determine their readiness to remove the ventilator,
stringent oral care to prevent bacteria and prophylaxis of peptic ulcers
and deep venous thrombosis.
Once all protocols and research of the process for
caring for ventilator patients was complete and ready for implementation
in 2005, it was immediately apparent that the team was successful. The
national average for VAP cases is 2.7 per month. Mercy Memorial has only
had two ventilator-associated pneumonia cases in the last four years,
far exceeding the national average.
“We are very proud of Roger’s leadership efforts to
save the lives of so many patients,” said Mindy Burdick, Mercy Memorial
president. “He has dedicated his time and talent to improve the quality
of care at Mercy Memorial.
Mercy Memorial Health Center is a member of Mercy
Health System of Oklahoma and the Sisters of Mercy Health System.
Press release dated: December 9, 2009 |
