Quality

Quality initiatives implemented at our downtown campus in recent years are in place at UF Health North.

By: Kelly Gray-Eurom, M.D., M.M.M., FACEP

The UF Health North bed tower is now open for medical/surgical patients. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have worked to accomplish this wonderful feat. The quality division has been hard at work to ensure patients in the new hospital benefit from the same quality initiatives that have been so successful at the downtown campus.

The sepsis alert program has been used at the north campus emergency room the past few months. It went live for inpatients when the bed tower opened in May. The same type of communication and care coordination that occurs on the downtown campus is available at UF Heath North.

Nurses are being trained on the nursing-driven Foley decath protocol that has been a strong driver for the reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections. They are also being trained on the Foley peri-care bundles and the central line dressing care bundles that have been successful in preventing CAUTIs and central line-associated bloodstream infections at the downtown campus. A midline insertion team is being trained at the north campus so the use of midlines — instead of a central line, whenever medically appropriate — will be an option there.

A rapid-response team is also in place at UF Health North. The award-winning, nationally recognized rapid-response program has been a significant factor in early identification of changes in patient status and the prevention of patient deterioration at the downtown campus. The addition of RRT nurses to the north campus is a patient-safety and care-enhancement service that very few community-based hospitals can provide. It is a great example of academic excellence improving care at UF Health North.

Other examples are the evidence-based order sets and protocols. Providers will have access to the same order sets available at the downtown campus, including the pain management protocols, sepsis care bundle, C. difficile care pathway, stroke protocols and STEMI protocols. The opening of the inpatient beds at the north campus also creates a great opportunity to expand the telemedicine capabilities between both campuses and between our provider service lines.

UF Health North provides a wonderful opportunity to show the strength of academic quality programs in a community setting. The entire quality division is very excited.