PROVIDENCE – Recently released data from the Rhode Island Intensive Care Unit Collaborative showed that in 2011 the rate of central line-associated blood stream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia had reached an all-time low, according to the Hospital Association of Rhode Island.
Improvements in patient safety and quality included:
Since 2006, when the collaborative was launched, it has achieved $17.2 million in avoided costs, saved 249 lives, and resulted in 5,763 ICU patients days, according the Hospital Association of Rhode Island.
“These results once again prove that collaboration and the sharing of best practices is key to quality improvement,” said Margaret Vigorito, senior program administrator at Healthcentric Advisors.
The R.I. ICU Collaborative remains the only project of its kind in the United States to maintain 100 percent participation from all of a state’s hospitals. It was created by the Rhode Island Quality Institute, Healthcentric Advisors and the Hospital Association of Rhode Island. The collaborative is funded in large part by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, UnitedHealthcare of New England and Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island.