Infection Prevention

We act with urgency, building a culture of infection prevention–so you can do the same.
Infection Prevention

The Reality of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI)

As recently as 2019, around 1 in 31 U.S. hospitalized patients contracted healthcare-associated Infections (HAI). These infections significantly delayed recovery, increased expenses, and led to increasing mortality. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the threat HAIs pose for healthcare organizations, with 3.7% of hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients developing additional infections in 2020. Our experts act with urgency, building a culture of prevention – so you can do the same.

Discover how we can help you be #PreventionReady.

Icon

Proactive infection prevention

How we build infection prevention that’s pervasive and proactive, not reactive

Learn more
Icon

Organizational Model

We help leadership design effective infection prevention organizational models.

Learn more
Membership Program

Leadership Expertise

Immediate deployment of industry leaders with decades of experience, ready to advise.

Learn more
Icon

Shared Responsibility

A maturity model that shares accountability for infection prevention across the organization.

Learn more
Icon

Prevention-Ready Culture

An executive-sponsored culture of prevention, with clear responsibility and accountability across the organization.

Learn more
Icon

Infection Prevention Summary

A summary: the risks to accreditation, financial security, and patient safety mean that failure is not an option.

Learn more

The Statistics Behind HAIs Are Significant

Hospitals incur $28 billion to $45 billion annually due to HAIs. #PreventionReady aims to keep you ahead in the race to prevent infections through patient-focused, sustainable solutions.

Approximately
90 K

American patients who acquire an HAI will die annually.

As much as
70 %

HAIs can be reduced with the support of proper patient safety interventions.

Upwards of
$ 50 K

The cost of a single HAI case, depending upon the type of infection.


Proactive Infection Prevention

We Build Infection Prevention That’s Pervasive and Proactive, Not Reactive.

Conquering infection prevention relies on the actions of all hospital employees and medical staff members. The risks to accreditation, financial security, and patient safety demand that hospitals make proactive, bold improvements to their infection prevention programs throughout the organization.

In 2019, infections made up 68% of The Joint Commission’s serious “requirements for improvement” citations. That was pre-COVID. As TJC becomes more focused, more digital, and more stringent in future – as is likely – that number is at risk of climbing. It’s time to get more proactive about infection prevention.

We bring decades of experience shining a light on the root causes that result in repeat infection-related issues. Together, we will implement evidence-based, proactive approaches to accelerate your speed and effectiveness as you develop a mature #PreventionReady culture.

Being #PreventionReady Helps Mitigate Financial Risk

In 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) penalized 800 hospitals for high infection rates, patient injuries, and potentially avoidable medical complications.


Organizational Model

We help leadership design effective infection prevention organizational models.

Our experts guide clients from a reactive, crisis-focused infection prevention model, to a sustainable mature model with the right structure and talent.

In many places, infection prevention has been an under-resourced department – even a one-person-department – with the expectation that they would execute and be responsible for the success of the whole infection prevention program. Experience tells us this construct should be challenged; in fact, the infection preventionist group needs to implement a strategy, collaborating with various operational groups within a hospital, leveraging their executive-sponsored influence, in order to maintain a successful program.

A mature model includes operational leadership assuming responsibility for infection prevention and implementing a strategic plan at the executive level. The executive team should receive and review reports on infection trends, patterns, and performance on a regular basis.

We will guide your operational leadership on effectively analyzing survey data and infection rates, monitoring performance, and designing and implementing infection-related improvements with executive-level leadership.


Leadership Expertise

Immediate deployment of industry leaders with decades of experience, ready to advise.

Based on decades of nationwide experience, our best-in-class subject matter experts will readily and reliably guide you to craft practical solutions for persistent compliance and efficiency challenges.

We bring a high-touch, customized approach to each consulting engagement – whether it’s focused on moving our clients toward being #PreventionReady or helping them to implement a sustainable solution following an adverse finding.

We bring a cross-section of experience – from former surveyors to experienced clinical leaders and certified infection preventionists – with the added benefit of having worked across hundreds of healthcare systems. Our maturity model is built on this deep experience.

Our consultants understand the nuances and politics of working within a hospital or health system. They understand the healthcare and regulatory pain points and possess the necessary skills, training, experience, and expertise to support clients with evaluating, preparing, training, and educating about methods to drive your healthcare organization to success with practical approaches.

Together, we will help you navigate toward a proactive, mature infection prevention program and coach you on utilizing evidence-based, cutting-edge tools and strategies with speed.


Shared Responsibility

A maturity model that shares accountability for infection prevention across the organization

Identifying the “why” behind potential survey findings will help you realize and resolve vulnerabilities and, ultimately, sustain a more effective, more mature infection prevention program.

Chartis Clinical Quality Solutions utilizes infection-related data and a unique infection prevention maturity model to help clients strategically assess the effectiveness of their programs across a spectrum of domains critical to the control and prevention of infections.

Infection Prevention Maturity Model

Maturity Curve Infection Prevention

Essential Functions of Infection Prevention

Getting at and resolving root causes of potential infection prevention findings is critical to advancing along the maturity model spectrum. We start by identifying apparent infection prevention vulnerabilities within your organization. This effectiveness evaluation is followed by a drill down into the status of your program with respect to eight essential functions of infection prevention:

  1. Strategic risk assessment
  2. Surveillance thoroughness and credibility
  3. Process design and implementation
  4. Meeting management
  5. Data collection and reporting
  6. Survey readiness
  7. Antimicrobial stewardship
  8. Emergency preparedness

Additionally, we assess levels of executive sponsorship and staffing and organization. We look at topics like leadership, staffing levels, accountability, competency, and continuing education. Operational reviews include interviewing leaders and analyzing organizational structures, policies and procedures, practices, quality logs, staff scheduling, training, and competency assessments.


Prevention Ready Culture

An executive-sponsored culture of prevention, with clear responsibility and accountability across the organization

Infection prevention programs are most effective when there is Board and C-level sponsorship. Infection preventionists should have a “seat at the table,” empowered to lead, influence and collaborate throughout the organization.

Chartis Clinical Quality Solutions provides materials and insights to the C-suite to help them understand where their organization is on the maturity spectrum and why infection prevention is a critical topic. This elevation in perception is important for infection preventionists to have the influence to create collaborative solutions with operational leaders and be able to present those solutions to the C-suite.

To ensure a successful #PreventionReady culture, the infection prevention department should be highly valued and recognized as subject matter experts, with clear lines of staffing authority and leaders possessing the experience and knowledge to engage and develop staff.

 

Infection Prevention Summary

The risks to accreditation, financial security, and patient safety mean that failure is not an option. We’ll help you take practical steps to minimize the risk of infection prevention, including:

  • Identifying risk and taking action
  • Being proactive, not reactive
  • Creating a culture of prevention through responsibility and accountability
  • Designing effective infection prevention organizational models
  • Deploying leadership experts to build practical solutions

Together, we will help you develop a resilient, proactive infection prevention program, based on decades worth of experience, advanced industry tools, and a strategy that empowers the entire organization to build a culture of infection prevention.

Infection Prevention
Infection Prevention

Where Does Your Organization Stand?

This seven-question Infection Prevention and Control Program self-assessment will help you determine your level of readiness

Latest Insights

Contact Us

Get in Touch

Let's work together to tackle your most complex challenges.

Contact Our Team
Chartis High Reliability Care Solutions