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(AUSTIN, Texas – Feb. 18, 2020) – The Texas Hospital Association named Houston Methodist Hospital, The Woodlands as the recipient of the 2019 Bill Aston Award for Quality in the small, urban hospital category. THA presented the award Feb. 14 at the 2020 THA Annual Conference and Expo in San Antonio.
The THA Bill Aston Award for Quality honors a hospital’s measurable success in improving quality and patient outcomes through the sustained implementation of a national and/or state evidence-based patient care initiative.
Texas hospitals recognize that surgical sight infections have a significant negative impact on patient safety, health and well-being, as well as financial implications for the health care facility. Reducing SSIs is critical to both patient care and hospital operations.
Medical staff at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital worked with their Infection Prevention Program to lead an interdisciplinary team approach to SSI prevention.
A team comprised of the Medical Director of Infectious Disease, an orthopedic surgeon, an anesthesiologist, nursing leadership and an infection preventionist evaluated best practices and current processes to identify what was working and which areas needed improvement. After completing a thorough evaluation, the group launched its SSI prevention team with the goal of continuous improvement and standardizing best practices, while remaining cost-effective.
HMTW’s surgical infection rate is now below the national benchmark and has experienced a continuous downward trend for more than six quarters.
The facility’s exemplary teamwork and proven results at reducing SSIs earned it the Bill Aston Award for Quality in the small/urban hospital division.
About THA
Founded in 1930, the Texas Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care systems. Based in Austin, THA enhances its members’ abilities to improve accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans. One of the largest hospital associations in the country, THA represents 452 of the state’s non-federal general and specialty hospitals and health care systems, which employ some 400,000 health care professionals statewide. Learn more about THA at www.tha.org or follow THA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/texashospitals.