Vizient MidSouth Sepsis collaborative members, including Navicent Health, celebrate their achievements over the past year, including over $3.7 million in savings/cost avoidance.
 
“Each member of the collaborative has worked to make improvements within its own organization to effectively prevent, identify, treat and manage sepsis and septic shock. We are pleased with the work taking place at Navicent Health to prevent sepsis, and congratulate our team on this well-deserved award,” said Linda Pender, Sepsis Benefits Realization Coordinator for The Medical Center, Navicent Health.
 
Comprised of nine member organizations, participants had the opportunity to collaborate on a regional and national level. Members learned from subject matter experts, shared knowledge and received individual on-site support from Vizient MidSouth performance improvement staff on process flow mapping, project management and coaching calls. Additionally, participants received a comparative dashboard focused on average length of stay, mortality and national benchmarks.

For 2016, the collaborative reported over $3.7 million in savings/cost avoidance. While all members of the collaborative contributed to the overall number, the top three members that submitted data, consistently participated and produced significant documented value included DeKalb Medical (Hillandale and North Decatur); The Medical Center, Navicent Health; and Piedmont Athens Regional.

“Our team has worked diligently to minimize the threat of sepsis for our patients, providers and payors. We are incredibly pleased with their efforts and honored to be named one of the top hospitals in the state in the fight against sepsis,” said Crespo.

Sepsis, the human body’s overwhelming response to infection, is a life-threatening condition that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and even death. It is important for healthcare providers, as well as members of the community, to know the signs and symptoms of sepsis. These may include shivering and fever, extreme pain or discomfort, clammy and sweaty skin, confusion and disorientation, shortness of breath and high heart rate. Certain individuals are particularly at risk for developing sepsis, including those who have recently had a lung infection such as pneumonia, a urinary tract infection, a gut infection or a skin infection.