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Yale-New Haven Hospital news release
Release date:June 30, 2005
Media contact: Mark D'Antonio, (203) 688-2493

Connecticut Hospital Association honors Yale-New Haven Hospital with prestigious award

For the fourth consecutive year, Yale-New Haven Hospital has received the John D. Thompson Award from the Connecticut Hospital Association for excellence in the delivery of health care through the use of data. This year, the hospital won for its initiative to increase pneuomococcal vaccination rates for inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Patients hospitalized with CAP are at increased risk for future hospitalizations from invasive pneuomococcal disease. The overall mortality rate from CAP can be as high as 20 percent, and even higher in the elderly.

The hospital's efforts to increase the vaccination rate of inpatients with CAP began in 2001 by assessing all inpatients to see if they had been vaccinated against pneumonia. However, pneumococcal vaccination rates for inpatients with CAP - although up - had reached a plateau of 45 percent by 2002-2003.

Unhappy with not meeting its goal of vaccinating 85 percent of all CAP inpatients, staff in 2003 convened a team from pharmacy, nursing and quality improvement. The team examined data from previous efforts to improve vaccination rates, identified barriers to success and developed solutions.

"Vaccinations, when given, were given on the day of discharge," explained Jeff Topal, MD, physician specialist, pharmacy services, and team member, "and that can be a busy and confusing day and the task was falling between the cracks. We decided to ask the pharmacists - an alternative but important member of the healthcare team - to take primary responsibility for vaccinating eligible CAP patients and for documenting the results electronically."

This approach worked: hospital pharmacists increased vaccination of CAP patients and documentation dramatically. In 2004, the hospital exceeded its goal of 85 percent - up from only 45 percent in 2003 - exceeding the nationwide 90th percentile.

"It was very rewarding for pharmacists to be directly involved in meeting and exceeding our goal of vaccinating patients against community-acquired pneumonia," said Lisa Stump, MS, RPh., pharmacy services director. "Our work is going to save lives and help patients - many of them elderly - avoid re-hospitalization. That's why so many of us go into healthcare - to help patients become and stay healthy."

The hospital also received the John D. Thompson Award for reducing time for patients from arrival in the emergency department to angioplasty in 2002, for its efforts to reduce bloodstream infections in 2003, and for reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in 2004.

Reporters: For more information on this release, contact Mark D'Antonio, (203) 688-2493.

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Last revised: July 1, 2005 (mv)

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