ABSTRACT
Historically, health care worker vaccination has been a strategy to protect the health care worker from infectious work related risk. This article will discuss the transition to health care worker vaccination as a key patient safety initiative for hospitals and health care systems. As the case is evolving toward mandatory influenza vaccination of health care workers, we have outlined key success factors for a voluntary program in a rural frontier referral hospital. Additionally, pertussis vaccination for health care workers is discussed as to the patient safety aspects of a progressive approach further making the case for value creation on behalf of our patients we have the privilege of providing care.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Health Personnel , Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient/prevention & control , Mandatory Programs , Vaccination/statistics & numerical data , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , HumansSubject(s)
Clinical Laboratory Techniques/trends , West Nile Fever/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Clinical Laboratory Techniques/economics , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , South Dakota , West Nile Fever/economicsABSTRACT
In this follow-up of an article written in the South Dakota Journal of Medicine, February 2001, Antimicrobial Resistance: Steps to Reduce the Problem with Emphasis on Antibiotic Utilization--The Rapid City Experience, subsequent local analysis based on evolving literature, local measures undertaken, and results of these measures will be presented. With national numbers of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) rising, steps taken in the Rapid City Region have shown reduction in these two pathogens. The two key components of these programs have been appropriate antibiotic utilization and strict adherence to aggressive infection control measures.
