Nash Health Care's Infection Control Department receives regional honor

Recognized as Distinguished Partner in Excellence recognition in the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON)

Nash Health Care's Infection Control Department has been recognized as a program of excellence by the Duke Infection Control Network (DICON). The Infection Control Department at Nash Health Care has been affiliated with the DICON program since the network's inception10 years ago.

The Duke Infection Control Network has grown steadily over the past decade. DICON now has affiliations with 39 hospitals in five states, (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia). The NHC Infection Control Department's exceptional success in reducing the rate of infections in its critical care unit caught the attention and earned the praise of Dr. Daniel Sexton, professor of medicine, DICON director, who recently visited NHC and met with Mr. Rick Toomey, former CEO. Dr. Sexton told Mr. Toomey that Wanda Lamm, RN, ICP, CIC, and Libbe Sasser, RN,ICP, CIC and Brenda Davis, CCU director and the entire CCU staff have established an infection prevention program that is a model for the remaining 38 hospitals affiliated with DICON.

During the past 6months no patient in the NHC critical care unit developed ventilator-associated pneumonias, a Foley-catheter associated urinary tract infections or a central-line associated bloodstream infections. The absence of even one case of these serious and sometimes life-threatening hospital infections is an outstanding achievement according to Dr. Sexton. Dr. Sexton and his colleagues at DICON asked Wanda Lamm to discuss the remarkable success of these infection prevention programs in the NHC critical care unit during the annual DICON Fall Conference held in Greensboro.

Wanda Lamm RN, ICP, CIC (far left) and Libbe Sasser RN, ICP, CIC (far right), infection prevention nurses at Nash Health Care, are congratulated on their recent accolade by Dr. Daniel Sexton (center) professor of medicine and DICON director.