(ROSWELL, Ga. - March 20, 2008) - Kimberly-Clark Health Care announced today a new educational campaign designed to educate healthcare workers and support their efforts to reduce the spread of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) in U.S. hospitals. According to the CDC and other healthcare officials, 1.7 million infections impact hospital patients each year, costing hospitals an estimated $4.5 billion in additional medical costs.
As part of the Not on My Watch campaign, Kimberly-Clark Health Care will launch a 30-city mobile tour, visiting 39 hospitals in eight months with its HAI Education Bus. The bus is a 45-foot-long, mobile classroom outfitted for interactive training, continuing education (CE) and continuing medical education (CME) courses on HAI management and prevention.
"Hospitals agree that HAIs are a serious patient safety concern and know the stakes are high," said Kimberly-Clark Health Care President Joanne Bauer. "Not only do hospitals make it their mission to deliver the best patient care possible because it's the right thing to do, but the occurrence of infections can also have a major impact on a hospital's financial health."
"Staying up-to-date on the latest research in HAI prevention through participation in accredited CE and CME courses can help nurses and physicians effectively reduce the spread of infections among their patients as well as the financial burden HAIs can cause," said Bauer.
HAIs are an unfortunate complication in virtually every hospital and can result in longer stays, more procedures and added healthcare costs. In its simplest definition, an HAI is an infection acquired by a patient while receiving medical care or treatment while in a hospital or healthcare facility. As an example, the CDC reports that surgical site infection, one form of an HAI, affects more than 370,000 patients in the United States each year.
Kimberly-Clark is committed to providing medical professionals clinical solutions for preventing, diagnosing and managing HAIs and recognizes the critical role of education in infection prevention. Caregivers are required by state law to complete a specific amount of CE and CME hours to maintain their licenses, but finding the time to take these courses can be challenging.
Kimberly-Clark is helping by delivering these courses directly to the hospital's front door through the HAI Education Bus tour. On the bus, busy physicians and nurses can reinforce their knowledge of HAIs through interactive educational programs that fit their schedules. Through individual computer workstations, satellite Internet connectivity and online educational courses, the bus serves as a practical resource center helping these professionals refresh their knowledge of techniques for addressing HAIs.
The bus can also offer onsite access to expert speakers, group presentations and round-table discussions that cover a range of infection prevention topics, including:
- Infection management, wound care and post-operative healing
- Preventing airborne infectious diseases and bloodstream infections
- Reducing the risk of oral infection or ventilator-associated pneumonia
- The role of nursing in diagnosing and treating pneumonia and infection
- Discussing HAIs with patients and what patients can do to reduce HAIs
"The battle against HAIs is fought every day by healthcare professionals on the front lines, while delivering the best possible care to their patients," said Dr. Lynne Kelley, Global Medical Director for Kimberly-Clark. "We know that doctors and nurses are committed to continuing education, but finding the necessary time can be a challenge. The HAI Education Bus tour is designed to make the process more convenient by having our educators and relevant resources literally roll up to their workplace."
Other elements of the campaign include a Kimberly-Clark Health Care Web site (www.haiwatch.com), which features online educational resources and tips, as well as a toolkit that contains informational flyers, patient safety tips and posters that can be used by hospital staff as part of their own internal HAI campaign.
Kimberly-Clark in the Healthcare Environment
Around the world, medical professionals turn to Kimberly-Clark for a wide portfolio of solutions that improve the health, hygiene and well-being of their patients and staff. As part of their healing mission, caregivers rely on Kimberly-Clark to deliver clinical solutions and educational resources that they can depend on to prevent, diagnose and manage a wide variety of healthcare-associated infections. This over $1 billion global enterprise of Kimberly-Clark Corporation holds the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in several categories including infection control solutions, surgical solutions, pain management and digestive health. And throughout the care continuum, patients and staff alike trust Kimberly-Clark medical supplies and devices, Kleenex tissues, Kimberly-Clark Professional skin care products, and Scott towels for day-to-day needs. For more information, please visit http://www.kchealthcare.com.
