The program now in its second year, aims to recognize the efforts of dedicated health care professionals working to prevent health care-associated infections (HAIs) in their facilities. In highlighting the efforts of health care professionals around the world in the fight against HAIs, the program provides a forum for health care providers to share best practices for infection prevention. The deadline to submit a program for consideration is January 31, 2012.

Kimberly-Clark Health Care will award five programs in the United States and Canada with an educational grant.

Programs with completed and measurable results will be judged by a panel of infection-prevention health care professionals, while education and awareness programs with non-measurable results will be judged by online public voting by fellow health care professionals.

A patient education category has been added to this year’s awards in recognition that patients and their families have a role in infection prevention and that more facilities are taking responsibility for educating patients and their community. This new award provides an opportunity for health care professionals to share and learn from best practices on patient and community education. Also new to this year’s awards program, nominations will now be accepted from the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, in addition to the United States and Canada.

Nominations will be accepted in the following categories:

  • HAI WATCHDOG* Awards – Panel-judged
    • Hospitals 300 beds or less
    • Hospitals more than 300 beds
    • Healthcare system
  • HAI Patient Education Award – Panel-judged
  • HAI WATCHDOG* Clinician’s Choice Award – Selected by online voting

The deadline for entries, to be submitted online, is January 31, 2012, for programs conducted between October 1, 2010, and December 31, 2011. To participate or learn more, visit the HAI WATCHDOG* Awards Web site.

Every year in the United States alone, HAIs affect nearly 2 million patients, causing nearly 100,000 deaths and a cost of more than $4 billion. Every year the microbial threats that cause HAIs grow more numerous and complicated. The awards program, an initiative of the HAI WATCHDOG* Community, facilitates the sharing of infection prevention best practices among clinicians, to help promote awareness and prevention to reduce HAIs.

Health care professionals can visit the HAI WATCHDOG* Community to participate in discussions and share and gather effective strategies to replicate in their organizations. In addition, through HAIWATCHDOG.com, health care workers have access to tools and resources, such as customizable posters to educate and reinforce the importance of HAI prevention to staff.

Source: Kimberly-Clark Health Care