It’s all-hands-on deck for hand hygiene

No ifs, ands or buts. When it comes to hand hygiene, the fact is clean hands save lives.

“Our patients trust us to keep them safe from harm,” said Christopher O’Connor, YNHHS CEO. “The simple act of proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections.”

Richard Martinello, MD, medical director, Infection Prevention, YNHHS, agreed. “Keeping our patients and staff safe is our number one priority, one way to help contribute to that goal is by correctly performing hand hygiene,” he said. “That means washing our hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub every time we enter, and every time we leave a patient space.”

During the recent Hand Hygiene Day, service line leads and infection preventionists visited units with an interactive hand hygiene assessment scanner. The device gives staff a first-hand look at the effectiveness of proper hand hygiene. The machine uses a special training gel which, when applied to the hands, simulates alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The machine generates an image showing areas that were missed during gel application.

As part of our commitment to hand hygiene, a systemwide network of leaders and staff regularly perform direct observations to measure compliance with the hand hygiene policy. The team aims to celebrate good hand hygiene when observed and offer constructive feedback when appropriate. In addition, practicing 200% accountability around hand hygiene will promote an environment of shared responsibility that each person must wash their hands properly every day, every encounter.

“Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of any hospital-acquired infection reduction program,” explained Thomas Balcezak, MD, chief clinical officer, YNHHS.

“Our goal is to reduce hospital-acquired infections across all our clinical sites and correctly performing hand hygiene is the best way to get there.”

“Our employees are committed and dedicated to safe, high-quality patient care, and we thank them for keeping hand and nail hygiene at the top of their priority list,” added Diane Kelly, RN, DNP, chief nurse executive, YNHHS. “The saying is more than accurate: Clean hands do save lives.”