National, Employer-Funded, Healthcare Model for Improving Quality Compliance Implemented

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Putting Power into Healthcare Initiative(sm) (PPHI) is the first statewide effort ever to use a sophisticated, data-backed network that encourages and measures hand-washing across multiple hospitals in a single state. The initiative focuses on increasing hand hygiene in hospitals, which helps cut down on healthcare-associated infections. These infections can complicate a medical condition, extend the time a patient stays in the hospital, and boost the costs of healthcare and health insurance.

The Putting Power into Healthcare Initiative began with the shared vision of Proventix, Alabama Power and 27 participating Alabama hospitals to improve health-quality compliance. "PPHI is part of a vision that goes beyond hand hygiene. PPHI shows that powerful partnerships and community initiatives can be created among hospitals across the nation's healthcare system," Harvey Nix, CEO of Proventix said. "We have an opportunity to improve the delivery of care through collaboration among healthcare workers, active point-of-care communications and standardized processes."

The initiative installs Proventix's nGage system in participating hospitals. nGage uses active communication screens and radio-frequency badges tied to a data and quality compliance system. By using nGage, hospitals measure when and how often their employees and healthcare professionals wash their hands. Contaminated and unwashed hands are a leading source of transmitted infection.

CEO Nix sees PPHI as a national model for bringing high-quality monitoring and communications systems to save lives, cut costs and create operational efficiencies for healthcare workers and healthcare systems desiring to improve quality. "The next step is to begin a dialogue with employers and hospitals in other states that desire the same type of innovation and results," said Nix.

Proventix has the nation's largest database of hand hygiene events, with more than 5 million recorded hand hygiene episodes. Using the data and measurable outcomes the system is proven, working and very promising for scaling at the national level.

Dr. Rich Embrey, Chief Medical Officer of Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama, lead a team at Princeton Baptist that conducted a seven-month study to determine whether increased hand washing prompted by the nGage System could reduce infection rates. The results were significant. During the study period, infection rates dropped 22 percent in the unit where the system was installed. That translated into 159 fewer patient days and an estimated health cost savings of more than $133,000.

"Proventix and Alabama Power's leadership have created the Putting Power into Healthcare Initiative as a model of initiatives that can be created among hospitals across the nation's healthcare system," stated Nix. "Employer-funded efforts just make sense in today's business and healthcare environment. The nGage system reveals a solid business case, is a demonstration of community support, and sets a standard for wider U.S. consideration."

For more information, contact Greg Neil at [email protected], [email protected], visit http://www.proventix.com or call (205) 383-1156.

Proventix Systems, Inc., based in Birmingham, Alabama, is a technology company whose mission is to eliminate the human and economic costs of infectious disease in healthcare. They provide tools and services for quality compliance monitoring, active point of care communication, and successful behavior modification. Visit: www.proventix.com 

SOURCE Proventix Systems, Inc.