Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center implements resuscitation quality improvement program to increase patient survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest

SAN DIEGO, July 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 200,000 in-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States, with survival rates at less than 26%. Patients who suffer a cardiac arrest must receive the highest quality CPR possible, which is known to be the cornerstone for survival; however, certain studies show CPR skills can decay within three to six months following this training.

Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, part of Sharp HealthCare's multi-hospital system in San Diego County, recognizes the importance of high-quality CPR competence, performance and delivery in saving more lives. That's why the Resuscitation Quality Improvement® program (RQI®), co-developed by the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical and delivered by RQI Partners, is being implemented to help the hospital's clinical staff achieve sustained mastery of high-quality CPR skills and competence, resulting in improved patient outcomes.

Sharp Chula Vista is the first hospital in San Diego County to adopt and implement RQI 2020, an enhanced resuscitation quality improvement portfolio that was launched by the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical in January. The hospital will have seven RQI stations placed throughout the medical center, which will provide convenient access for health care professionals who participate in the program. The hospital launched the program on July 1.

"In keeping with our commitment to provide the safest and highest quality care for patients, I'm pleased to begin offering this new program for employees," says Pablo Velez, PhD, RN, and chief executive officer at Sharp Chula Vista. "By being the first to offer the RQI 2020 program in San Diego County, we're leading the way for a new standard of care when it comes to resuscitation best practices."

Introduced in 2015, the RQI program was designed for health care professionals with responsibility for patient care. Now, RQI 2020 prepares all health care system staff members to deliver high-quality CPR and verify competence in Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support through simulated skills sessions and eLearning simulations. The program provides a high-reliability platform for self-directed, simulation-based mastery learning and performance, which is implemented through "low-dose, high-frequency" hands-on CPR quality improvement sessions, in 10 minutes every 90 days, that measure and verify competence each time. The program also provides analytics that can measure individual, department, facility or system compliance.

To provide a complete solution to Sharp Chula Vista, a brand new offering – RQI Responder – is now available for use by non-clinical health care staff who are not directly involved in patient care. The addition of RQI Responder will ensure that every hospital employee, clinical and non-clinical, is prepared to respond to a cardiac arrest event and able to provide high-quality CPR.

"We are excited Sharp Chula Vista is implementing the RQI program and working with the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical to shift to a new standard of resuscitation care – verified competence," said David Lee, M.D., immediate past president of the American Heart Association Western States Affiliate. "This illustrates the staff's commitment to making high-quality CPR a priority organization-wide and furthering our mission to improve patient care and help save more lives."

Sharp HealthCare hopes to introduce the RQI program at other affiliated hospitals, as well as outpatient services and home health, in 2020.

Watch a video on how the staff at Sharp Chula Vista use this new program to improve and master CPR skills here.

To learn more about the RQI program and the value it brings to hospitals, patient care and communities at-large, visit www.heart.org/RQI and www.rqipartners.com.

About Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center is the largest health care provider in San Diego's South Bay. With a Planetree-designated 343-bed hospital, as well as a 106-bed expansion currently under construction (opening in late 2019), Sharp Chula Vista is home to the region's most comprehensive cardiac and oncology programs, and also offers exceptional services for orthopedic care, women and infants, and bloodless medicine and surgery. The Barnhart Cancer Center at Sharp Chula Vista offers world-class cancer care from diagnosis to survivorship. Sharp Chula Vista is one of the largest private employers in South Bay, with more than 2,000 staff, 500 affiliated physicians and 400 volunteers.

About RQI Partners LLC
RQI Partners LLC is a joint venture partnership between the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, positioning the organizations to deliver innovative solutions that accelerate the impact of their lifesaving mission. The company blends the Association's leadership in science with Laerdal's expertise in technology and implementation to deliver impactful and innovative resuscitation quality improvement programs. For more information, visit www.rqipartners.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

About Laerdal Medical 
Laerdal Medical, one of the world's leading providers of healthcare solutions, is dedicated to helping save lives with products and services for Simulation, Airway Management, Immobilization, Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, Patient Care, Self-Directed Learning and Medical Education. Laerdal is pleased to serve all healthcare providers and educators, from the lay rescuer to medical professionals. Laerdal operates sales and support offices in 23 countries worldwide, and with the head office located in Stavanger, Norway. For more information, visit www.laerdal.com or call 877-523-7325.

SOURCE RQI Partners, LLC