Ecolab Teams with the Joint Commission's Center for Transforming Healthcare

Ecolab Inc. announced it is partnering with the Joint Commission's new Center for Transforming Healthcare to support a study to improve hand hygiene.

The company said the goal of the study, which will be conducted at eight hospitals and health systems, is to eliminate hand hygiene as a cause of healthcare associated infections (HAIs).

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 100,000 deaths occur each year in U.S. hospitals due to HAIs. Proper hand hygiene is the single most effective method for preventing these infections.

"Ecolab shares the Joint Commission's vision and commitment to reduce HAIs and improve patient safety," said Paul B. Chaffin, vice president, Ecolab Healthcare North America. "Poor hand hygiene and improperly cleaned patient rooms can elevate the risk of infection, so we have designed comprehensive infection prevention solutions, integrated with training and support, to optimize overall performance and drive continuous improvement."

Chaffin added, "Through our products and programs, Ecolab can help deliver a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment for patients and healthcare providers."

The Center for Transforming Health Care is a private-sector solution for improving patient safety and quality by eliminating preventable complications such as healthcare associated infections, medication errors, injuries and avoidable surgical complications, and associated costs that are endemic in health care delivery today. The Center's participants, who include the nation's hospitals and health systems, use a proven systematic approach to analyze specific breakdowns in patient care, discover their underlying causes and then develop targeted solutions that solve these complex problems.

An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 16,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

Related terms: disease, environment, health, healthcare, infection, north america, president, products, profit, training