Performance Management Through Benchmarking

Performance Management through Benchmarking

Mykaela Simmons

The University of Phoenix

Health Care Quality Management and Outcomes Analysis

HCS 451

Elizabeth Cravitz

February 09, 2009

Performance Management through Benchmarking

Explanation of the problem:

Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care (LHAC) was established in 1935. The organization is a 350 bed facility and a non-profit organization in Cleveland, Ohio. LHAC’s nosocomial infection rate went up from 4.5 percent to 4.8 percent since this time last year. The goal infection rate is 3.0 percent in a hospital this size. Nosocomial infections are also known as hospital acquired infections affect over 2 million patients in the U.S. yearly and cost approximately $4.5 billion. This also accounts for approximately 80,000 deaths per year. There are many different types of infections examples being urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, blood stream infections, skin infections, gastrointestinal tract infections, and central nervous system infections.

Root Cause:

The inefficient equipment management is the reason for the rise in the nosocomial infection rate. The equipment sets idle for long periods of time in some departments and low amounts of time in other departments. There is not a proper tracking system of the equipment to know if the equipment has been properly cleaned. Having a location to take equipment to be cleaned after being used and having a place to go and get equipment that is cleaned would allow the staff more time for patient care. The lack of a tracking system also causes departments to spend money on equipment that is already owned by the organization.

Established Airway:

Appointing inventory clerks and equipment to be terminal cleaned are the two recommendations that were selected to improve the equipment management process at LHAC. Appointing an inventory clerk would put specific staff in charge of properly maintaining the equipment. Terminally cleaning the equipment by...