MDH Representatives Meet with Legislators at the State Capital to Showcase Quality Improvement Initiative That Advances Care and Reduces Costs

Springfield, IL- On April 5 in the Illinois State Capitol, representatives from McDonough District Hospital displayed a quality improvement initiative to reduce surgical site infections for hip replacement surgery and shared with legislators how this initiative has benefited patients, families and communities while reducing healthcare costs.

McDonough District Hospital representatives were among more than 100 hospital and health system representatives from across Illinois who discussed with legislators their innovative, practical and collaborative approaches to improve care during the Illinois Health and Hospital Association’s (IHA) Quality Advocacy Showcase.

“Implementing infection prevention strategies to ensure safe quality care for every patient, every time is a top priority here at MDH,” said Carol Rowland Maguire, Infection Preventionist.

Rowland-Maguire met with Sen. Jil Tracy and Rep. Norine Hammond as well as Mayor Mike Inman during the event. Rowland-Maguire said, “I was encouraged by the interest and support of our legislators regarding our efforts in patient safety”.

With a focus on infection prevention, McDonough District Hospital’s project focused on reducing the amount of bacteria in the nose by applying nasal antiseptic to patients an hour before surgery to decolonize Staphylococcus aureus (SA). The hospital invested $1,200 and saw a return on investment of $16,845 per avoided surgical site infection. For the patients, families and communities, McDonough District Hospital serves, the project:

• Improved patient safety
• Improved quality of care
• Improved the patient’s quality of life and productivity
• Protected patients, family members, and the community

IHA’s Quality Advocacy Showcase, in its second year, is designed to visually demonstrate the often-overlooked and underreported work of physicians, nurses, quality improvement leaders and hospital administrators to develop solutions to improve care. IHA produced one 30-by-42-inch poster per hospital or health system project for the event.

“The Illinois Health and Hospital Association Quality Advocacy Showcase provides a timely reminder of the life-saving work Illinois hospitals do daily and the critical role state government plays in ensuring that hospitals have the resources to continue to provide high-quality care to all Illinoisans,” said IHA President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi.

Carol Rowland-Maguire is an Infection Control Registered Nurse at McDonough District Hospital and Ashley Frederick is the Clinical Quality Improvement Coordinator. For more information about their quality improvement project, please contact Carol Rowland-Maguire at (309) 833-4101, ext. 13313.