August 2007

Sharon Regional earns six VHA Pennsylvania APEX Awards

         
Several Sharon Regional’s clinical units recently received six VHA Pennsylvania APEX Awards in recognition of achievements through the VHA ICU Improvement Collaborative. The APEX awards recognize member VHA organizations that have differentiated themselves by demonstrating extraordinary levels of clinical performance.

The awards are:

• Zero catheter-related blood stream infections for 27 consecutive months in 1) the Cardiovascular Unit from January 2005-March 2007 and 2) the ICCU from January 2005-March 2007.
• Zero MRSA infections for 1) six consecutive months in the Cardiovascular Unit from July-December 2006 and 2) nine consecutive months in the ICCU from March-November 2006.
   
• Zero ventilator-associated pneumonia for eight consecutive months and 100 percent compliance with the ventilator bundle in the Cardiovascular Unit from April-November 2006.
•  Improve appropriate glucose control for three consecutive  months by five percentage points in the ICCU from   January-March 2006.